Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice celebrates 35 years

NEWTON — In 1980 Julia and Joseph Quinlan founded Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice in memory of their daughter. April 15 will mark 35 years as the principal hospice for area residents and surrounding communities.

As the local nonprofit hospice, they have maintained their presence in the community and kept their promise to address the future needs of hospice care. This personal connection between the organization and the people in the community has been the cornerstone of its growth and development.

This occasion will be celebrated with a 35th Anniversary Gala on April 18 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Perona Farms in Andover.

Presenting sponsor, Lakeland Bank, invites guests to enjoy the evening that has been designed as a social reception with featured dining stations, the jazz music of Meant to Be and a silent auction. Additional sponsorship support has been provided by Eastern Propane, Selective Insurance, Iliff-Rugiero Funeral Homes, Sussex Bank, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, Contral Security Corporation, Newton Medical Center, and Nisivoccia, LLP and many more of our community partners.

The evening will hold a commemorative spirit for the decades of hospice support and a celebratory salute to Julia A. Quinlan and the late Joseph T. Quinlan for their commitment to the hospice mission.

In 1975, the Quinlan's received a phone call at 2 a.m. advising them that their daughter Karen Ann was in a coma at Newton Memorial Hospital. Nine days later, she was moved to St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville.

At that time it had been determined she was in a persistent vegetative state, a condition from which she would not recover. In order to have her released from the respirator, lawsuits were filed in the NJ State and Supreme Courts. The NJ Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the Quinlans favor on March, 31, 1976 and they were able to have their daughter removed from the respirator. Karen Ann lived in a nursing home for almost ten years.

From that time forward, the Quinlans were dedicated to the cause of hospice making sure the terminally ill had the care they needed. By forming the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation and then on April 15, 1980, the Center of Hope Hospice, now named Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, they opened its doors in Sussex County and the surrounding community.

The changes that have come since the 1980 opening, which began from the seed money earned from the Quinlan’s book, Karen Ann: the Quinlans Tell Their Story and started with only a few volunteer staff members has shown tremendous growth. Initially the hospice occupied a donated office at Newton Memorial Hospital, and with a small group of staff, volunteers, and donors, it was immediately boosted forward. In 1984 the agency became Medicare Certified, which accelerated the agency.

Today the hospice is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has a team of over 100 people, which includes nurses, home health aides, social workers, office and support staff, administrators, counselors, chaplains, medical directors, and volunteers.

The administrative office is located at 99 Sparta Ave., in Newton, and an office in Milford, PA; the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center opened in 2000 in Hackettstown, NJ and a second office in Newton in 2010. In 2014 the doors opened to the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon offering ten in-patient private rooms providing respite, short term in-patient care and routine hospice care to eligible Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice patients.

The one element that has not changed is their pledge to serve every patient who requests care, regardless of their ability to pay. Since its inception, not one patient has been turned away because they could not afford care, according to a news release from the organization.

There are also many area businesses who have embraced the mission of hospice, and who, throughout the year, actively partner with the agency in holding fundraisers to supplement those uninsured and non-reimbursable patient care costs. Many area businessmen and women also serve voluntarily as board members, offering their expertise in guiding the organization as it continues to grow.

Throughout the year, memorial events and services such as the Lights of Life Tree Lighting and the Memorial Butterfly Release are held to bring the community together, and to give each person an opportunity to honor their loved ones.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities for the 35th Anniversary Gala are still available and all supporters are welcome to join in the celebration for $135 per person.

For more information or to make a reservation call 973-383-0115 or visit www.karenannquinlanhospice.org.