But I know every one of them. It's a doctor's job to authorize hospice, but nationally, most physicians don't have much training in that area. So Kornfeld's been on a mission to have lunch with every physician in Bend, to espouse the virtues of the program. I think the ego-tone is a little less here than I've seen in other communities. So, I think docs are open to new things.
Hospital administrators appear open to innovations as well.
St. Charles Medical Center is one of the only hospitals in the country with a unit entirely devoted to comfort care for the dying. Most modern hospitals now have birthing rooms that are homey and comfortable. The rooms are anything but gloomy. Manager Terry Oberst says doctors and nurses in this unit are like midwives, for death. And that would mean we would just assure them that they are going to be as comfortable as possible.