Bringing personal compassion to hospice and palliative care journeys
Paradigm Health Clinical Liaison Tawni Risse admits that hospice care has a huge part of her heart after walking the hospice journey with her own mother back in 2021.
“I pride myself on offering patients and families a unique perspective as an individual who works with hospice and palliative care every day,” shares Risse. “Beyond Paradigm Health’s above-and-beyond care, I also have that personal experience which is a part of what fuels my passion for the work I do.”
As a clinical liaison currently serving Howard, Tipton, Boone and Clinton counties, Risse says she prides herself on the relationships she builds with facilities, physicians, patients and families and caregivers.
“In my role as a clinical liaison, I have the honor of connecting patients and families with resources and education that can better help them be able to navigate their unique healthcare journey,” Risse says. “I work hard to develop and maintain strong partnerships and connections with the area I serve which often puts me in a position to be able to help so many folks.”
Risse also shares that the benefit to working with her provides families an opportunity to learn about what options and paths are available to them as they walk their own healthcare journey with their loved one.
“There isn’t any pressure to make any hard and fast decisions,” Risse shares. “I always tell families that I am not here to ‘sell’ you on anything. I am here to give you the information that you need to be able to make an informed choice about what options are available to you.”
When working with a referral source directly, Risse says she connects with the referral source often to keep them informed about the patients they have allowed Paradigm Health to serve and keep them up to date on essential hospice and palliative care information and education.
“I tell people that hospice care is not the big, scary thing that so many believe that it is,” Risse reflects. “Both hospice and palliative care provide so much support and if you have the opportunity to ever connect with me, it is always a gift to meet folks wherever they are in their own journey to help them navigate what can often be a very overwhelming time in their lives.”
Often, Risse hears that families wished they had known about Paradigm Health’s services sooner. Hospice is not just for those who are actively dying but hospice today is designed to meet folks earlier in that journey if, and when, their goals of care align.
“The sharing of information and education is a huge part of what I do every day,” Risse says. “I’ve walked that journey myself and I think that brings a compassionate perspective to what I do that many don’t have. I’m thankful to work and serve those in Howard, Tipton, Boone, and Clinton counties every day.”
For more information about Paradigm Health’s palliative and hospice care services, call 317-735-6001.
