We are committed community members and healthcare professionals.
Partners Hope Foundation started as a group of community and healthcare professionals. We witnessed firsthand the heartbreak of individuals dying alone and the struggles dying individuals and families face when seeking quality care at the end of life and sought a different future for end-of-life care in our Western Montana community. As we organized our grassroots project, the initial findings were sobering and confirmed the tangible need for a dedicated hospice facility:
In Montana,
40% of people over the age of 75 live alone, making it difficult to have optimum in-home hospice care.
Our community
is aging at a greater rate than the rest of the country, making end-of-life issues and education essential.
Rural Montanans
make up 75% of our state’s Medicare population resulting in limited access to end-of-life healthcare.
Informed by our region’s rich history in end-of-life care, including the Missoula Demonstration Project/Life’s End Institute (1998 1998 – 2001), and amplified by the growing need, the board developed the following mission, vision and guiding principles for an end-life facility.
Our Vision
We envision a community where the end of life can be enriching and transformative.
Our Mission
Our mission is to build and sustain a state-of-the-art hospice center that provides end-of-life care, education and support for our community.
Guiding Principles & Values
- We believe dying is a fundamental part of life.
- We are rooted in respect and compassion.
- We consider the person, family and community in every decision we make.
- We honor every person’s right to dignity and self-determination.
- We believe the dying person deserves state-of-the-art whole-person care: medical, physical, psychological, spiritual, educational and cultural.
- We recognize that ongoing and dependable funding is essential for long-term sustainability of our mission.
We will serve the 147,40 square miles of Montana including Western Montana counties and beyond.
Milestones
- Received 501c3 status in 2017.
- Conducted operational feasibility study and positioning study for potential funding.
- Secured land for the future home of the center for end-of-life care, generously donated by the Terry and Patt Payne family.
- Hired Amanda Yeoman Melro as executive director.
- Completed architectural drawings by Loci Architects + Design, informed by the healthcare community and public input.
- Announced our Embrace Campaign raising private funding to build and sustain the center.
- Broke ground on the center for end-of-life care on Union Pacific Street near the North Street corridor in Missoula.
- Started construction with Dick Anderson Construction as the general contractor.
- Entered agreement with All Nations Health Center to establish a “campus of care,” with All Nations as our neighbors at Union Pacific Street.
Team
Amanda Yeoman Melro
executive director
Julie Benson, MA
development manager
Board
Anne Murphy, MD
president
Betsy Wackernagel Bach, PhD
vice president
Gayle Hudgins, Pharm D, BCGP
secretary
Rosi Keller, CPA
treasurer
Julie Brehm, MPA
Melody Cunningham, MD, FAAHPM
Dan Dixson, M Div
Allan Frankl
Bob Heffner
Dan Jenko
Brenda Meyer
Mary Morrison, MAED, CSC
Linda May Pelo
Nancy LeBuhn Pickhardt, RN, BSN
Stan Seagraves, MD, FACP
Claire Sherwood, MSW
Sharon Snavely
Kim Visser
Read More About Our Team
Partners
Partners Hope Foundation recognizes Missoula’s rich history of providing end-of-life support and services. By partnering with existing healthcare providers, we seek to build upon what has been accomplished in hospice care as we move forward to meet the end-of-life care needs of our community. Together, we will provide seamless access to services and state-of-the-art care for individuals, families and our community.
Partners In Home Care and Partners Hope Foundation’s shared values have led to our first collaborative agreement. Partners In Home Care is the largest nonprofit home health and hospice care provider in Western Montana. Established in 1987, PIHC serves individuals and families in a 100-mile radius of Missoula, including residents in Missoula, Lake, Ravalli, Granite, Mineral and Sanders counties.
PIHC’s history of commitment to the patients and families it serves is the foundation of their steadfast reputation in our community. Through our partnership, we look forward to building upon PIHC’s expertise and creating a facility that offers community members an enriching and transformative end-of-life experience.
Learn more »
Established in 1970, All Nations Health Center provides a comprehensive suite of culturally attuned services and programs for elders, children, adults and families.
In July 2023, All Nations and Partners Hope Foundation announced an agreement to create a “campus of care” on Union Pacific Street in Missoula. The five-acre property, located off the North Reserve Street corridor, will be the future home of All Nations and Partners Hope Foundation’s center for hospice and end-of-life care — with All Nations owning the west half of the property and Partners Hope Foundation the east half.
Both organizations are committed to offering Native people and Western Montana patients and families culturally based, holistic care.
Ongoing Partnerships
Partners Hope Foundation is actively pursuing partnerships throughout the region to create seamless access to end-of-life services and provide increased educational opportunities for people of all ages to learn about death and dying.
If you would like to become one of our partners or would like to learn more, please contact us.
