NEWS RELEASES

PORTLAND, ORE. – August 10, 2021 – Legacy Health will sell Hopewell House to the Friends of Hopewell House, a grassroots nonprofit that quickly formed to restore the hospice services provided at the historic mansion tucked in the Hillsdale neighborhood of SW Portland.  Legacy Health donated $1 million of the asking price to help Friends of Hopewell House purchase the property.

"We are thrilled Legacy Health was able to donate $1,000,000 of the asking price to Friends of Hopewell House so they can continue the spirit of comfort and support for hospice patients and their loved ones," said Maureen Bradley, Legacy Health senior vice president, development & community engagement officer.

For decades, Legacy provided 24/7 inpatient hospice services at Hopewell House.  In 2019, Legacy Health made the difficult decision to suspend hospice operations because the service was not financially sustainable. The number of inpatients had fallen over the years. The decreased Medicare insurance reimbursements and new regulations limited which patients qualified for inpatient hospice services. On average, only one to two patients were admitted each day in a 12-room facility.

Plans were to sell Hopewell House on the open market on January 1, 2021. However, Legacy delayed listing the property to offer Friends of Hopewell House the opportunity to raise funds to purchase the property.

"This incredible gift from Legacy Health is proof that they truly understand how important innovative, compassionate care is for patients, for their families, and the whole community," says Friends of Hopewell House president and the founder of the Hopewell House, Joan Strong Buell. "It's impossible to overstate what Hopewell House means to Southwest Portland's Hillsdale neighborhood and the city as a whole, which is once again, gaining more than a home; it's a vital resource for compassion and understanding."

Friends of Hopewell House pioneered a new model of care as the region's only residential care facility specializing in hospice care. The service is still for area residents unable to stay at home on hospice care. They will collaborate with visiting Medicare-certified hospice agencies and will work collaboratively with Medicare-certified hospice providers. Other staff includes 24/7 nurses, certified nurse assistants, and volunteers trained explicitly in end-of-life care. They'll maintain Hopewell House's name and become a source for education, community outreach, and holistically serve residents' emotional, spiritual, medical, and familial needs. Services will be funded by private pay, long-term care insurance, philanthropy, Medicaid, Veterans benefits, and health system partnerships.

About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is a locally owned, nonprofit health system driven by our mission to improve the health of those around us. We offer a unique blend of health services – from wellness and urgent care to dedicated children’s care and advanced medical centers – to care for patients of all ages when and where they need us across the Portland/Vancouver metro area and mid-Willamette Valley. With an eye toward a healthier community, our partnerships tackle vital issues such as housing and mental health. Legacy strives to help everyone live healthier and better lives, with the vision of being essential to the health of the region. For more information, visit www.legacyhealth.org.