Corporation breaks ground on new facility

Hospice of the Valley has raised two-thirds of the $6 million needed.
NORTH LIMA -- Hospice of the Valley broke ground this morning for a $6 million, 35,000-square-foot hospice inpatient facility at 9501 Sharrott Road.
The facility is on 14.5 acres and has 16 individual patient rooms that face year-round gardens. It also has a chapel, family lounges, children's bereavement and programming room, meeting rooms open to the public when not in use by Hospice of the Valley, a volunteer workroom, garden areas and memorial walkways, said Lisa Gill Argiro, Hospice of the Valley president and chief executive officer.
While the goal of hospice care is for the patient to remain at home, many times this is not possible. The inpatient facility will be used by patients and their families for respite care for caregivers and for management of acute pain/symptom control.
Average stay in the facility will be five to 10 days, Argiro said.
Patients will be cared for regardless of age, ability to pay, diagnosis, religion, gender or sexual orientation, Argiro said.
Opening planned for '05
Hospice of the Valley, a not-for-profit corporation, has raised $4 million out of the $6 million needed to complete the project. The projected opening is at the end of July 2005.
The capital campaign is led by Connie Knecht, Diane Keller and Atty. Leonard Schiavone. Opportunities to donate and participate in the project remain available, Argiro said.
Hospice of the Valley has been in operation since 1979, and serves the terminally ill and their families in Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties in Ohio as well as western parts of Beaver, Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania, Argiro said.
The new inpatient facility will be the first of its kind in this community. The closest similar facilities are in Akron or Cleveland, she added.