In the days before her death, Molly*, a Hospice of Spokane patient, made a special request.

She wanted to see Remy, she told her caregivers. She wanted to say goodbye to an old friend.

Remy, a red Doberman Pinscher with a broad chest and dark, lively eyes, regularly visited Molly at her nursing home through Hospice of Spokane’s Paws for Comfort program.

On the morning he saw her for the last time, Remy rushed to Molly’s bedside, laying his head right next to hers. Then, she whispered in his ear.

Molly told him how she fell and broke her hip and that she wasn’t doing well, recalls Remy’s owner, Ellen Higgins. She told him how happy she was to see him.

Since he joined Paws for Comfort in 2003, Remy has brought smiles to the faces of hospice patients and their families. Now, after three and a half years of service – 27 if you count in dog years – the Doberman will retire and spend more time at home. “It’s time for Remy to rest,” says Higgins of Spokane Valley. “His mind is still chipper but he’s become too fragile.” In recent years, Remy has struggled with arthritis in his neck and feet. He also has a heart murmur and suffers from a disease that affects his spine. Despite his physical ailments, Remy loved volunteering for Hospice of Spokane, Higgins says. He treasured those moments with Molly and other patients who found mutual joy and comfort in Remy’s presence. “They light up when an animal comes in,” says Trina Poppens, a social worker and coordinator of Hospice’s Paws for Comfort program. “People who are anxious calm down. People with dementia who may forget their own names or how to use a fork will automatically start petting a dog … The window of their mind opens up and they connect.”

Remy and other four-legged creatures also stimulate their memories and provide a sense of solace that humans sometimes can’t give.

Until he retired, Remy was one of 12 dogs who volunteered for Hospice of Spokane’s Paws for Comfort. Established in 2003, the program uses trained canines to ease anxiety, increase socialization and provide comfort to people near the end of life. Along with their handlers and hospice volunteers, the dogs visit patients in their homes, hospital rooms or assisted living facilities as well as people at the Hospice House.

To honor Remy, Hospice of Spokane threw him a retirement party on February 29. Remy helped improve the quality of life for many patients, says Poppens. “He’s a gentle, patient dog that cares for people.”


Remy visiting a Hospice of Spokane client while spreading some Easter cheer

The frothy milk? The recently roasted Arabica beans?

Whatever it is, there’s something about the latte lovers connected to Waverly’s coffee that makes them a particularly generous bunch.

“Our customers have a huge heart,” said Crystal Jones, manager of the Bean Me Up espresso stand on North Division. Her stand raised the most money in the first-ever coffee stand fundraiser for hospice in January. The combined effort raised about $1,650 for hospice house, which helped pay for a lovely patio table and two resident-room TVs.

The bright idea belongs to Brian Ellsworth, co-owner of Waverly’s Coffee, who also donated 100 bags of coffee to the cause.

“I knew we couldn’t really do much on our own,” he said, “but as a coffee community, we could come together.”

So Ellsworth rallied all of Waverly’s customers – including Coffee Works, Brews Bros and Break Away Espresso – to offer $5 lattes during one weekend, and hand over all of the proceeds to hospice house. Dishman Dodge, which has supported Hospice of Spokane for years through the “Scramble for Hospice” golf tournament, also collected donations and sponsored the ads on KXLY’s 4 Free Fridays.

A stockbroker for 20 years before he began his coffee life, Ellsworth said he first heard about hospice from his clients.

“The consistent story among them and their families was that boy, hospice was there to help us and take care of things,” he said. “I never heard a poor story about hospice.”

That’s why he is already looking to the future.

“We’ll definitely make this an annual event,” Ellsworth said. “I hope this fundraiser continues to grow and that Hospice House is filled with things donated by the community.”

Our sincere thanks to all of you who supported this fundraiser at area coffee stands and restaurants!

Chrissy Spilker & Crystal Jones take a quick break for the camera

Are you interested in volunteering your time and your dog’s presence to be part of Paws for Comfort?

Contact Trina Poppens, MSW, at Hospice of Spokane at 456.0438.

These lessons are gradually imparted to new physicians as they spend a month at Hospice of Spokane — sharing in people’s lives during their final weeks, days or even hours.

“Medicine is not just about treating patients,” said Geetha Easwaran, a second-year internal medicine resident. “There is a human side to it all that requires compassion. … People at the end of their life need comfort and peace. Hospice is almost like a family that gives people social support.”

Easwaran is one of 14 doctors at Internal Medicine Residency Spokane who have learned about end-of-life care at Hospice of Spokane.

Two years ago, the residence program affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine started working with Hospice of Spokane to teach new physicians how to comfort terminally-ill patients, as well as their families, as the end of life draws near.

The joint program is a novel endeavor in the world of hospice care. Of the more than 4,000 hospice providers in the United States, less than 20 offer hands-on training opportunities this robust for doctors new to the field.

Death happens to all of us. It is a normal part of life. But for some healthcare professionals it’s a fact that’s often difficult to accept.

“As a doctor, you’re inclined to save everyone,” explained Easwaran. “But sometimes, trying to do heroic measures might be doing more harm than good to the patient. … There are times when you have to let go and focus on treating the medical symptoms instead of the disease.”

Her work alongside hospice staff — and especially with patients and their loved ones – has broadened her perspective, said Easwaran. The experience has opened her eyes to people’s needs and desires for comfort instead of a cure, she said. It also made her more aware of her responsibility to help reduce the burden on caregivers by working with a team that includes social workers, nurses, nurse aides, bereavement counselors, chaplains and volunteers.

For these internal medicine residents, the experience has been “both humbling and profoundly enriching,” said Dr. Pierre Soffe, Hospice of Spokane’s medical director.

“They’ve gained a much deeper appreciation of the depth and breadth of hospice care as well as their calling as physicians,” he said. “As physicians, our responsibility is not just to cure disease, but to be instruments of healing in people’s lives in a much broader way.”

In addition to residents like Geetha, Hospice of Spokane regularly hosts students earning their RN, bachelors and masters in nursing, masters in social work, medical students, and undergrads from a variety of fields.