Health department reports progress on construction projects; hospice outlines growing service use in Kosciusko County

Bob, a representative of the Kosciusko County Health Department, asked commissioners to approve seven memoranda of understanding tied to Health First Indiana grants; the commission approved the MOUs and authorized Bob to sign each document as it becomes available.

Amy, health department project coordinator, reported on fourth-quarter progress and said many construction and planning projects are moving toward completion. She said the county expects multiple ribbon-cuttings beginning with the Chinworth Bridge on March 20 and additional events through the spring and summer as supplies and schedules permit. Amy also described outreach to small towns such as Leesburg and Claypool where county staff are supporting strategic planning, fiber-to-home efforts and other locally led projects.

Stillwater Hospice chief development officer Mary Shankster and hospice consultant Stacy Leek provided service statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024. They reported the palliative care program served 20 Kosciusko County residents for a combined 49 service days; hospice services served 62 residents for a total of 2,749 days; and the hospice home in Fort Wayne served 36 county residents. They also described respite care utilization, noting Kosciusko County was a high user of respite services in 2024. Bereavement outreach reached 151 individuals in the fourth quarter, and the hospice provides individual grief counseling at no cost for residents who request it.

Commissioners thanked the health department and hospice for their work; they approved the MOUs and asked staff to continue project reporting and to return with financial summaries as staff compile state, local and federal contributions for ongoing projects.