To commemorate the opening of the T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Faith Presbyterian Hospice held two private events, including a dedication ceremony and opening celebration. Board members, donors and dignitaries including T. Boone Pickens and Congressman Pete Sessions took part in the ceremony at the dedication event, with Councilmembers Jennifer Staubach Gates and Lee Kleinman in attendance. Clark Hodges and T. Boone Pickens also unveiled a painting made specifically for the center. During the donor appreciation event, donors, dignitaries and board members took part in an opening celebration highlighting National Healthcare Decisions Week, which included interactive stations and conversations about values for today as well as at the end of life. The new center is located at 12477 Merit Drive in Dallas.
The 53,388-square-foot center is expected to serve 1,200 families a year and is the first standalone inpatient and residential hospice center in Dallas. The center includes 36 lake-facing patient rooms in a holistic environment designed to provide meaningful experiences. The generous support of T. Boone Pickens, the Harold Simmons Foundation, the Hamon Charitable Foundation, Donald and Charlotte Test, and numerous other donors resulted in $43 million in contributions raised to date to make this center a reality. Faith Presbyterian Hospice and the T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center are part of Presbyterian Communities and Services, a faith-based not-for-profit organization.
“We are a care-oriented organization that is highly committed to enriching the lives of those we serve in unique ways, and this state-of-the-art center is an extension of our mission,” said Tim Mallad, president of Presbyterian Communities and Services. “The center does not feel clinical or like a medical facility; it has the warmth of home and was thoughtfully designed to provide tranquility and support for patients and their families. We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of this exceptional hospice center which fills a longtime gap in the health care continuum in Dallas.”
The T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center gives families a calm, comforting environment where their loved ones will live while facing end-of-life illnesses. Prior to this center, families had to choose between receiving hospice services at home, in the hospital or in long-term care centers without the benefit of a care center designed specifically to meet their needs. In addition, the center is a place of transition where patients with chronic diseases can be stabilized before returning home from the hospital. Patients are cared for in private suites with a bed-accessible patio or balcony overlooking serene gardens and a beautiful lake with access to 24/7 nursing care for pain management.
While the center has numerous amenities for patients, it is also designed to accommodate the whole family with Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, living rooms, spaces designed for reflection, a chapel, and playrooms for young children and teens. Other services offered by the center include massage and music therapy, patient and family education, as well as bereavement support for children and family members. A Child Life Specialist focuses on children’s needs from the present time until age 18. The center also offers Faith Presbyterian Hospice’s Signature Services such as Faithful Presence, which involves recording messages from family members to their loved one; Faithful Paws, an animal therapy program; Memory Bears, where volunteers make bears out of loved ones’ clothing as keepsakes; and Faithful Wishes, in which special wishes by patients are made possible.
“We have reached a milestone, and we are proud to give families meaningful end-of-life journeys in a beautiful environment with all of the support and services they need,” said Peter Lynch, executive director of Presbyterian Communities and Services Foundation. “We are extremely thankful for all of the donors who made this possible. We are currently raising money for the endowment, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact the center will have on the community.”
The campus consists of five centers of excellence, including The Harold Simmons Foundation Inpatient Care Center, The Pickens Center Child and Family Bereavement Center, Spiritual Care Center, The Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Education Center and The Donald and Charlotte Test Outdoor Reflection Center. Although Presbyterian Communities and Services is a faith-based organization, the center welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds and is accredited by the National Institute for Jewish Hospice (NIJH).
The center’s partners on this project include PRDG, architectural firm; Linbeck, construction firm; Faulkner Design Group, interior architecture and design; and Mesa, landscape architecture, planning, and urban design.