This expansion, thanks to the generosity of the Hicks-Snorf family, dramatically increases our ability to improve the well-being of patients in our community needing palliative care.
—Dr. Steven Packer, Montage Health President and CEO
The expanded community-based services include telehealth appointments, expert symptom management, patient and caregiver education and counseling, care goals, and psychosocial and spiritual support. These program advancements are made possible by a generous donation from the Snorf Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County.
“Patients deserve care in appropriate settings that fit their personal needs and goals,” says Dr. John Hausdorff, Community Hospital’s Supportive and Palliative Care Medical Director. “Patients who were going to the Emergency department and experiencing lengthy inpatient hospitalizations will now see increased access to more appropriate care settings.”
The expansion increases access to care and reduces long wait times by increasing the hospital’s outpatient palliative capacity by more than 600 percent. Other benefits include a reduction in avoidable Emergency department visits or inpatient stays and enhanced care for existing palliative care patients. Inpatient palliative patients will also experience more seamless care coordination when moving to outpatient services.
“Palliative care is more than managing a condition,” says Ramona Thurman, Community Hospital’s Supportive and Palliative Care Manager. “We see each patient as a person, working alongside them to understand what they value, what brings them joy, and what defines quality of life for them. This approach can guide their treatment so together we can maximize the good in their life while they are dealing with serious illness.”
The program’s outpatient enhancements reduce the burden of illness and increase quality of life for patients, families, and caregivers, improve end-of-life care and timing for hospice transitions, improve goal coordination during healthcare setting transitions, and reduce the burden on primary and specialty providers, further increasing access to care for the community.
“This expansion, thanks to the generosity of the family of Leslie and Charlie Snorf, dramatically increases our ability to improve the well-being of patients in our community needing palliative care,” says Dr. Steven Packer, Montage Health President and CEO. “This is a prime example of what is possible when philanthropy and healthcare work hand-in-hand to achieve our common goal of optimizing community health.”
The expansion is made possible by a $250,000 gift from the family of Leslie and Charlie Snorf to Montage Health Foundation, made in memory of local resident Leslie Snorf who was a longtime Montage Health board leader and supporter. Leslie served on Montage Health’s Board of Trustees for three years and was a founding member and board chair of Montage Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees for six years before she passed away in 2022. Leslie was also a philanthropic champion for many important health causes including cancer care, women’s health, stroke care, and improving access to healthcare for the community.
“Leslie was an amazing human being, and it was an honor to know her and work with her as a board leader and supporter,” says Kevin Causey, Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Montage Health. “Her generous gifts of time, service, leadership, and philanthropy will have a lasting impact for our community, and her family continues to honor her legacy through this meaningful gift in her memory.”
