Belinda Blair loves serving people. After a career in the healthcare industry, she retired from Owensboro Health in 2018, but felt like she still had more to give. So in her retirement, she became a CEO.
Blair leads the Hospice of Western Kentucky as president and CEO. For the last six months, she has been the leader and supporter of the staff and organization.
But Blair is no stranger to the group. She has served three terms on the board of directors, including one year as chairwoman.
Prior to her role as Hospice CEO, she was employed by Owensboro Health and helped open the Healthpark Diagnostic Center in 1995 and the Wound Care Center in 2001.
Blair’s inspiration for working after retirement was Waitman Taylor, former executive director of Owensboro Health’s Foundation, who kept working until he was 85.
“Waitman Taylor said if he had retired at 65 like a lot of people encouraged him to then he would have had 21 years of missed opportunities to meet so many people and work on so many projects,” she said. “I’m not ready to stop being a part of that. I love healthcare and I am very passionate about Hospice.”
Hospice approaches the care of its patients as a team which consists of multi-disciplinary professionals, the patient and the family. With hospice, the patient and family are included in developing a plan of care that coincides with the patient’s physician who works closely with the Hospice team.
Blair said seeing first-hand the work that goes into hospice care from employees and volunteers is an honor.
“Just seeing what they do and the difference they make every day — it’s amazing,” she said. “I love working in healthcare and helping people — Hospice of Western Kentucky has been here for 40 years and I am just so thankful to be a part of it.”
The hospice mission is helping individuals live with dignity through the final stages of life.
“During my clinicals I loved working in delivery and seeing those babies take their first breath — it’s so exciting,” Blair said. “But on the other side of that, in my nursing career I’ve been a part of the last breath they take and that is just as important and beautiful. Everybody should have a beautiful ending.”
Recognizing their patients may have end-of-life wishes or desires they would like to fulfill, Hospice of Western Kentucky created its WISH Program in 2008 to help those wishes come true when possible.
“We have held a wedding and flown family members in to a see a loved one who is in our care,” Blair said. “We want to make their last memories memorable and special.”
Brenda Knollenberg, charitable giving coordinator, said no one is ever turned away from Hospice of Western Kentucky because of their inability to pay. They also serve everyone from families who are going through the death of a stillborn baby to people who have lived a full life and are now nearing the end.
“Being able to get community and donor support is huge for us as a nonprofit,” Knollenberg said. “Owensboro is a very generous town and we are so thankful for that.”
Online donations are accepted or you can mail a check to Hospice of Western Kentucky, 3419 Wathens Crossing, Owensboro, KY 42301 or give by calling 270-926-7565.
