The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Hospice of the Plains has welcomed a new leader and it's a familiar face. Tiffany Storch, who has served in various roles at the organization for the last several years, took over as administrator on June 1.

Storch is a graduate of Northeastern Junior College's nursing program. She has worked at Hospice of the Plains since 2015, first as an Registered Nurse case manager spending time out in the field taking care of patients, then moving on to become volunteer coordinator. Two years ago there was a need for a business director to supervise and handle the financial business of day-to-day operations, so she took on that role.

When the administrator position opened up she felt it was perfect timing, as she is just finishing up her master's degree in leadership. She may go on to pursue a doctorate at some point in the future, but for right now she is focused on her new position.

"I love the leadership role and I strongly believe in everything hospice stands for. What we do in the community is a vital service and it's often overlooked, death and dying aren't really topics you bring up at a barbecue," Storch said.

Hospice of the Plains serves a seven-county area (Logan, Morgan, Yuma, Washington, Sedgwick, Phillips and part of Weld) spanning over 10,000 square miles, providing comfort care to individuals with a serious illness who are approaching the end of life.

Storch said having been a part of Hospice for the past five years and the different roles she's played have definitely made the shift to administrator a little easier. But, she was quick to point out that what's really made the difference is her amazing team.

"We have such a great team of nurses, clinical staff and office support staff," she said. "We've got nurses who have been here for years and years, decades, it's wonderful. I've got such a great team, I'm so lucky."

The feeling is mutual, with staff already appreciating Storch's leadership in the short time she's been in the role. Asked to describe her, one staff member used the word conquering, "there are 101 million little budding problems and she goes and conquers them," and another, Kylee Harless, marketing specialist, called her very patient.

"She gets thrown into a lot of things that are not expected and the amount of patience and grace she has, she's just like 'I got this, don't worry about it,'" Harless said.

Storch describes herself as a transformational type of leader, who likes to inspire and motivate.

"I like to have everyone as excited as I am about what we do," she said. And they are. "We're all motivated, we're here because we care and are passionate for hospice. We're truly a family here; we spend 30-40 hours a week together, sometimes more than that and the respect that all of us show one another, even in times of pressure, is great. I couldn't ask for a better job."

Pressure is something the organization has felt a bit more of lately, particularly as they were faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and the many difficulties it brought.

"I don't feel COVID really slowed us down, but it made our delivery of services more challenging," Storch said, explaining that Hospice has been working side-by-side with Northeast Colorado Health Department and done its best to follow all of the rules while making sure to still provide care for those in the community who need it.

COVID did put a damper on Hospice's ability to do fundraising, which is critical for the organization. One of its biggest fundraisers of the year, a hog roast put on by the Sterling Elks Lodge every February, had to be canceled this year, though they are hoping to bring it back next year.

"But the community really surrounded small organizations like ours and showed us a lot of support," Storch said.

One of her first goals as administrator is to bring back Hospice's presence in the community. She wants people to know that Hospice of the Plains is still around and they haven't closed their doors.

"We've been here since 1996 and we plan to stay and grow," Storch said.

To help increase awareness of their organization, Hospice will have a float in the Logan County Fair Parade on Aug. 7 and they will also be at Wray Daze July 23-25 and Haxtun Corn Festival on Sept. 25.

As for the future growth of the organization, Storch said she would love to see them possibly expand and offer other services. Right now their focus is on hospice care, but recently there's been a lot of excitement around the palliative care sector and she would like to see what they can do related to that. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Patients in palliative care may receive medical care for their symptoms, or palliative care, along with treatment intended to cure their serious illness.

"I'm excited, I'm excited about what the future holds for us," Storch said.

To learn more about Hospice of the Plains and its services, visit their website at http://www.hospiceoftheplains.org or call (970) 526-7901.