Aspire Palliative Care has grown into a large network of physician practices providing comprehensive, preventative medical care at home for patients suffering from a life-threatening or debilitating illness. Aspire is committed to providing services that help families deal with the best course of treatment for their loved one. In each geographic area of the world, there are several offices of Aspire Palliative Care located in communities that have high morbidity rates and low numbers of doctors. The service extends its service throughout the country and to any state where it can provide physicians who specialize in palliative medicine. At the same time, some regions are more remote than others and may not have access to physicians who practice this specialty.

Earlier this year, Aspire expanded its services beyond rural and remote areas by offering physician employment to those who previously practiced medicine but chose to pursue a career that addresses the needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases. Physicians who accept employment through Aspire's Physician Selection and Medical Homes program undergo intensive training in palliative care, which has been approved by the American College of Medical Physicians. This certification assures physicians that they are competent and ready to provide high quality care to patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes.

At 6 hours ago, I was sat in a hospice waiting room talking with a dying man. His wife had just informed him that he had two to three months to live and requested that he speak with me before making that final decision. He looked up at me with a raspy smile and said he loved his life. A registered nurse who had worked in hospice previously told me that her job as a hospice nurse had made her even more compassionate for her terminally ill patient. He was referring to his wife, who had decided to pursue palliative care to provide comfort and dignity for her husband.

This story is about one man and his determination to make the ultimate sacrifice for his family. His wife, while facing terminal illness, needed to make a decision that would impact her last days. This hospice nurse had been searching online for a position at Aspire. She was looking forward to applying for a position, so she could start palliative care right away.

Just before she contacted Aspire for a position, she had a conversation with her best friend and went over the subject with her. Her friend had been a resident in a nursing home for many years and knew firsthand how difficult it was to handle the emotional aspects of this profession. Although she had managed to find a comfortable position, the feeling of isolation and loneliness were overwhelming. When her body began failing her, she began to cry uncontrollably and found that she didn't feel like she belonged anywhere. Her thoughts kept turning to death and dying, and she felt she had nothing more to give.

What was her next step? She needed to understand that there were other options beyond hospice care. She needed to understand that there were palliative care specialists who could help her loved one live a happier and more meaningful life despite his or her illness. She needed to know that there were resources available that could help her loved one accept his or her own death.

Upon learning that there were Aspire palliative care specialists in her area, her friend called me and said that she had been offered a job. With this new knowledge, she knew that she couldn't wait to get started on her new passion. Having read the 12 reviews that I had written about her company, she felt better prepared for her transition. She also realized that the work itself would be similar to what she had done in her previous job, but with better benefits and opportunities for growth.

This experience has given me hope that there are other places out there where families can find help when it comes to relieving their loved ones from the pain, discomfort, and financial burden associated with hospice. Families should never be afraid to express interest in Aspire Palliative Care. This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with someone who has a passion and knowledge about a noble cause. And, if you have someone interested in working with a terminally ill patient seeking hospice, then perhaps you should reconsider your position.