State Hospice organization recognizes Ray Weglarz
State Hospice organization recognizes Ray Weglarz
LAURIUM — Ray Weglarz, clinical supervisor for Keweenaw Home Nursing and Hospice, has been named the 2006 Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Hospice Clinical Supervisor of the Year.
Eight disciplines were honored at the MHPCO Annual Spring MEmbership Conference May 2 in Bay City. The annual Dream Team award acknowledges individuals within the Hospice Team for their outstanding achievement and dedication. Each winner is presented with an award and a brief sharing of their contributions as a reception during the conference.
Weglarz is a 1977 graduate of Michigan Tech University with an associate’s degree in nursing. He also attended the University of Michigan and Kirtland Community College. Prior to joining Keweenaw Home Nursing in 1992 he was an intensive care unit nurse and clinical coordinator for a neurosurgical unit for several years.
He has been certified in hospice and palliative care for many years and has promoted hospice education and certification for KHN&H nurses and aides.
Weglarz was recognized because of his work promoting hospice care in the community. He developed the hospice program at Keweenaw Home Nursing in 1993, the first Medicare-certified hospice program in the Copper Country.
For more than a decade, he has provided both staff education and hundreds of hours of community outreach and education on hospice and end-of-life care.
He personally has met and cared for hundred of Copper Country resident. He said he enjoys teaching and has been a guest lecturer at Finlandia University and MTU at death and dying classes and medical ethics classes.
An active community volunteer for Copper Country Trout unlimited and the Omega House Board of Directors, Weglarz still found time to develop many program KHN&H such as the Veterans Service Program.
“Hospice is truly a team effort and I work with a special group of people at KHN&H,” Weglarz said. “Our hospice team of nurses, aides, social workers, volunteers, chaplains, medical director and office staff are committed and compassionate and we believe that even in the face of terminal illness, quality of life and hope can be promoted for individuals and their families.”
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