04/04/2019

Cartmell Announces Retirement from Hospice of Hope

Hospice of Hope Executive Director, Kavin Cartmell, (RN MSN) has announced her intent to retire from Hospice of Hope in late 2019.

Mrs. Cartmell joined the organization as Patient Care Coordinator in 1992 and has served as Executive Director since 1997. During her tenure, the organization has undergone a transformative trajectory in both service area and the comprehensiveness of care. Under her 28 years of leadership, Hospice of Hope has positioned itself as one of the nation’s largest and most well-respected community hospices with a census that nearly triples that of the national average.

When asked about her decision to retire, Cartmell stated, “This has been weighing on my heart for some time. When you’re with an organization as tremendous as Hospice of Hope and have witnessed first-hand how important the service is to our community, it’s very difficult to walk away.”

The Hospice of Hope Board of Directors have created a search committee and will be casting out a multi-channel job posting in early April with plans to keep this open through May.

Roger Cheesbro, Board Chairperson stated, “It’s with a heavy heart that we accept the retirement plans for Kavin, but we are also very thankful for her ‘gift’ of leadership and compassion throughout the years. While her shoes will not be easy to fill, we fully expect Kavin to be by our side until we are confident that the organization is positioned for even more success in years to come.”

Mrs. Cartmell did not provide a specific end date but will be working closely with the Board of Directors using a formal leadership transition action plan as guidance.

Mrs. Cartmell added, “At this time I do not have a formal retirement date set as we are still early in the process. I am very proud of our current staff and am confident that whatever decisions are made in the near future will be handled with as little disruption as possible to our primary mission of administering quality patient care. I plan to stay onboard with the organization as long as needed to ensure that all of the gaps are filled in prior to my retirement.”

Throughout the years, the hospice industry has undergone changes to both how they are reimbursed to how they administer end-of-life care. No matter the situation and/or the changes, the end goal has always been, deliver the best care possible.

Cartmell concluded with, “My career at Hospice of Hope has been very enriching to me personally and to my family. I will always be indebted to our community for allowing me to call this organization home for nearly three decades, however the time is right for me to explore other passions and to mark other goals off my bucket list. Thank you to all our staff, volunteers, patient, families, referral sources, and other supporters for allowing me to lead this wonderful organization that is so rich with history and compassion for the past 28 years”.

More news will be shared throughout 2019 as to the status of the transition plan and a retirement reception.