Seven months after the ground breaking, the staff of Hospice of Washington County is about ready to move into their new home.

A 5,100 square foot, single-story facility was built on the north side of their decades-old building that has dealt with frequent floodplain issues. It features additional office space for their staff, larger storage and cleaning areas, a conference room that quadruples their current space to accommodate their organization’s as well as the community’s needs, and an overnight room with shower amenities for on-call staff and other uses. The race is on for the staff to officially move in this Friday, with furniture, appliances, and other equipment on its way. After that, McCreedy-Ruth Construction will put the final touches on the south end of the building with work following to separate the building from the south brick portion.

Hospice Executive Director Katrina Altenhofen then hopes work can begin this spring to demolish the brick building contingent upon receiving a state water quality grant for a bioswale to control stormwater runoff. Altenhofen gives thanks for a years-long dream coming true, “The support that this community has given us for this project is amazing. To sit here and say that you’ve got a $1.3 million project that is about $200,000 from being debt free during a pandemic is just heartwarming, and we all get very teary eyed when we look at that new building, go into that new building and realize that that is our reality. We will be in that building very, very shortly.”

Altenhofen says this week will be a flurry as Hospice will be orientating four new board directors and preparing for their 27th annual soup supper and silent auction fundraiser, “And the staff is really adaptable. They know that, you know what? Not all the copiers may be moved over there right away on Friday. Not all of everything can be there, put right in place, day one. So we know the next few weeks are going to be just like anybody else when they move from one home to another. It’ll be a little bit chaotic, but it’s okay. We’re ready.”

Those who would like to support the non-profit organization that provides free hospice care to a seven-county region can attend the soup supper happening from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 25th at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington.