By David Edwards on April 5th, 2023

Arkansas Hospice will continue to provide care locally in patient homes and partner facilities

Media Contact:  David Edwards, Director of Communications
Phone:  501-748-3303
Email:  dedwards@arkansashospice.org

Russellville, Ark. (April 5, 2023) – Arkansas Hospice and a coalition of Russellville area community leaders who led the campaign to keep the River Valley Home open announced today that despite a valiant community effort, it has become apparent that their fundraising goals will not be met. As a result, the River Valley Home’s last day of operation will be April 15.

Community leaders and the management and board of Arkansas Hospice worked tirelessly together with full cooperation and transparency to try to develop a working strategy to keep the 8-bed hospice house open, which has provided care for almost 2,000 patients and their families since it opened in 2011.

Judy Wooten, President & CEO of Arkansas Hospice, expressed her “deep gratitude for the willingness of the citizens of this community to give in such a sacrificial way to try to save the hospice home.” She credited local leaders, Jim Bob Humphrey, Roy Reaves, Becky Beavers, Mayor Fred Teague, Pope County Judge Ben Cross, State Senator Breanne Davis, and many others for working countless hours and raising funds exceeding $250,000 in only a matter of days.” A total of $750,000 was needed by April 10 to supply funding to keep the facility open through the end of this year, with projected totals of $10-$15 million needed to fund an endowment to subsidize the facility in the long-term.

After considering the pace of the current campaign, coupled with the long-term funding needed, both parties came to a consensus that the only viable option was to suspend the campaign. Donors will be individually contacted and given the option for their gifts to be returned or used to support the ongoing mission of Arkansas Hospice to provide in-home care for patients and families throughout the River Valley. 

According to Arkansas Hospice, the home has operated at a loss since its inception.  With the disruption to the entire healthcare system in the aftermath of Covid, and rapidly escalating costs, the home’s shortfall has continued to increase, making continued operations unsustainable.

While the closure of the hospice house is undoubtedly a loss for the community, local taskforce leader Jim Bob Humphrey said “Arkansas Hospice, the area’s only nonprofit hospice provider, has come to be known and respected throughout the state and the nation for providing high quality, compassionate end-of-life care.  We are blessed that the mission of Arkansas Hospice will continue in the River Valley as our wonderful Arkansas Hospice homebased team provides care for more than 70 patients and their families every day in their own homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and area hospitals.”