PITTSBURGH, May 2, 2007 — Alyson Pardo, CHPN, RN, has been named General Manager of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® of Greater Pittsburgh. She brings her nursing and administrative expertise to the new position as well as a long association with the values and vision of a hospice pioneer.
Esther Colliflower, Pardo’s mother, co-founded VITAS 29 years ago and went on to help develop the company into the nation’s hospice innovator and the nation’s largest hospice provider. “Coming to Pittsburgh,” says Pardo, “enables me to contribute to my mother’s legacy in hospice care.”
Pardo joins a program that is notable for its outreach to underserved areas of Pittsburgh where residents may not be aware of their hospice options. The staff dedicates its time to providing education to patients and caregivers in planning end-of-life care.
Among the program’s signature endeavors is its Continuous Care Team, which provides up to 24 hours of care in the home for acutely ill patients. “The team lifts a tremendous burden for family members who are trying to do it all during critical times. Families have told us that they would never have made it through this difficult time without the support of the Continuous Care Team,” remarks Pardo.
Prior to working for the Pittsburgh program, Pardo was admissions manager for VITAS programs in Miami and Chicago. While in those roles, she developed nursing recruitment and management strategies, coordinated nursing education and orientation programs, and facilitated communication between members of the hospice teams. She graduated from Miami-Dade Community College with a degree in nursing and is a certified hospice nurse.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my role as General Manager is to work with the motivated and skilled professionals at VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Greater Pittsburgh,” Pardo stated. “They are truly passionate about end-of-life care and are determined to make a difference in the lives they touch.”