The Compass to Compassion is an e-newsletter designed to keep you informed on the direction of Arkansas Hospice. By supporting our mission, you are navigating a path to compassion for our patients and families. With The Compass, we can connect our donors, volunteers, employees, and everyone who takes part in our mission. Thank you for joining us on the journey!
From our beginning, Arkansas Hospice has always been about people coming together for the greater good. More often than not, that means hard work, but, once in a while, it means taking time to celebrate and reflect. This is one of those times, as 2022 marks our 30th anniversary.

As we launch a year of celebration, we want to thank you for your continued support of our mission – and for helping our fellow Arkansans live better.

In honor of 30 years. please consider a monthly gift of $30 or more to help us sustain our mission even more! Click the button above to make a gift.
CLICK HERE for more anniversary news on our website.
Dee Brazil-Dale: A Legacy of Love for Hospice 
Click video above for Dee's video story.
Dee Brazil-Dale has devoted most of her adult life to being a passionate advocate for hospice care.
She first felt led to volunteer at a small, non-profit hospice in McCall, Idaho, after the sudden loss of her son, Mark Alvarado, in a vehicle accident when he was only 19 years old.

“He was a great outdoors guy and loved backpacking,” Dee said. “He got a scholarship to the University of California at Berkley and was studying to become marine biologist. He was an unusual, great kid. Everyone that knew him said he was one of a kind.”

Eventually, Dee went to work for the Idaho hospice before moving to Arkansas, where she met Michael Aureli. Together, they became the founders of Arkansas Hospice – with the help of community support, which Dee said is still vital today.

“Back in the day there were a lot of non-profit hospices, but now it seems to be the exception rather than the rule,” Dee said. “The true mission of hospice includes a robust volunteer program, an in-depth grief support program, supporting our veterans and special programs for special needs in our community. For Arkansas Hospice to be a robust, viable non-profit, it needs funds from the community to keep those programs going and to enhance them. To leave a legacy to Arkansas Hospice helps ensure that the not-for-profit organization can continue those non-funded and underfunded services that are so important. That’s why I leave a legacy.”

Dee saw first-hand the impact that Arkansas Hospice makes when the organization cared for both her mother and her husband – and she appreciates the value of what is often called “a hospice heart.”
“Taking care of people at the end of their life is a special calling,” she said. “When you experience loss, you gain compassion. And I think compassion makes up a big part of having a hospice heart.”

During the past 30 years, Dee has shown time and time again that her own heart is truly a hospice one. Her hard work, dedication and compassion has helped countless numbers of Arkansans live better lives.

To learn more about Dee’s story, the history of Arkansas Hospice, her partnership with Michael Aureli, and the history of the Towbin Heritage Society, click the video thumbnail above or click here to watch her special video.
Becoming a "Beloved Community"
Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On March 26, 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at a Chicago press conference in association with the Medical Committee for Human Rights during its annual meeting. His aim was to bring awareness and action to the lack of Civil Rights Act (signed into law by President Lyndon Bains Johnson in 1964) compliance by hospitals. King would later note during his remarks, “Of all forms of discrimination and inequalities, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.” Nearly 60 years after these remarks, healthcare disparities remain a significant issue in American medicine. These disparities are compounded by the attitudes surrounding medicine in the African American community. Mistrust, developed over centuries of malpractice, place African Americans and other minorities at a great disadvantage when it comes to accessing health care. 

As we celebrate MLK Day, its important that we all take time to educate ourselves about those issues that meant the most to Dr. King. Though we often think of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington, Dr. King’s life centered around working to eradicate systemic barriers to access and existing disparities in American life. While it has been nearly 54 years since Dr. King was assassinated, there are issues that we as a nation continue to face that will require our attention and best efforts to affect change and honor his legacy.


Click here to read more.
Mark Your Calendars!
Thank you for all you do in support of Arkansas Hospice.
Your generosity helps so many in need face the end of life with dignity and comfort through world-class, compassionate care from the state’s largest, non-profit provider.