Our Mission

The mission of the Greater Grand Rapids
End of Life Coalition is to increase awareness
and create opportunities for improving end
of life care within the greater Grand Rapids
community. Ongoing efforts of the Greater
Grand Rapids End of Life Coalition include:
• Raising community awareness about
end of life care
• Addressing end of life care through
collaborative education
• Educating health care professionals
in end of life care
• Supporting professionals working
in end of life care
• Development of specific projects to
positively impact end of life care in the
greater Grand Rapids area

What We Mean by “End of Life” Care

The term “end of life” can have different
meanings to different people. Whatever
the term may mean to you, it is never too
early to begin planning for yourself and
those that you love. Some of the areas that
people may think of in relationship to the
term “end of life” include, but are not
limited to the following:
• Hospice
• Palliative care (comfort care)
• Advance directives
• Quality of life

Who Are We

The Greater Grand Rapids End of Life
Coalition is a community-wide collaboration
of area hospice, hospital, higher education,
and service organizations dedicated to
increasing awareness and improving end
of life care within the greater Grand Rapids
community. Coalition partners (as of September
2007) include:

• Alzheimer's Association Greater Michigan
  Chapter
• ComForcare Senior Services
• Faith Hospice of Holland Home
• Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids
• Older Learner Center, Grand Rapids Community College
• Grand Valley State University
• Heartland Home Health Care & Hospice
• Hospice of Michigan
• Jo Jepsen RN, CCRN - Advanced Care Planning Facilitator/Trainer
• Metro Health Hospital
• Metron Hospice
• Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
• Spectrum Health
• Spectrum Health Hospice
• Voices for Health

Our History

The Greater Grand Rapids End of Life
Coalition officially formed in January 2003
as a result of a successful partnership in
September 2002 where, as a group,
coalition partners sponsored the
weeklong Between Now and Forever
event at Grand Rapids Community
College. This successful community event
drew nearly 400 people to a national
touring exhibit on loss, grief, and healing;
and 200 people to a series of workshops
on end of life issues.

For More Information Contact

Nancy Kingma, MA, RN, LLP
Bereavement Services Coordinator
Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus
100 Michigan NE
Grand Rapids MI 49503
(phone)616-391-3232
(Fax) 616-391-2230