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Staff Spotlight on Bereavement Coordinator Jack Thompson

Carefully Caring for the Bereaved in Dayton

When Bereavement Coordinator Jack Thompson arrived at Crossroads in Dayton three years ago, he was already an experienced end-of-life care professional well versed in caring for the bereaved. Now the sole site Bereavement Coordinator, Jack brings a depth of knowledge, sensibility and empathy to his post.

Jack’s robust professional journey in hospice care began when he completed his Master of Arts in Applied Theology degree. That was after majoring in chemistry as an undergraduate. 

“A creative side and a detail-oriented side,” are how Jack describes himself and why being a Bereavement Coordinator suits him so well. He handles the stress of high administrative demands beautifully and prides himself on meticulously “dotting the Is and crossing the Ts.” 

At the same time he can creatively devise “new solutions to interesting problems,” Jack said. This “serves me well in this job” as he cares for hundreds of bereaved families, keeping “many balls in the air.”

Being Present and Conjuring Positive Memories

“People’s hearts are most open during grief,” Jack said. “During grief, they are centered and present.” For Jack, this “is a great opportunity to serve,” explaining, for many families they grieve not only the loss of their loved one but also the loss of the wonderful hospice team who becomes a part of their daily lives, sharing its most intimate, fragile moments.

Acknowledging that sadness is part of being human, Jack provides comfort and caring. That is his only goal. “No client cultivation. No billing.” These are reasons the role is a perfect fit for Jack.

Jack likens the Bereavement Coordinator role to non-denominational ministerial and spiritual advocacy combined with a “quasi mental health role.” He’s particularly cognizant of how individuals tap their spirituality and “experience the holy.”

 “I love to hear people’s stories.” Jack said as he shared how he stirs up “positive memories” of better times long ago.  He mentioned a couple who met when a young man, who was making prank calls to a rival high school, started talking to the girl who answered the phone. They made plans to meet at the football game and the rest is history. Then, there was the gentleman who had a crush on a young lady working at the blood bank. In his pursuit of her, he became a frequent donor. 

The bulk of Jack’s career was spent working in hospice care in Portland, Oregon. After a brief stint teaching English in southern Italy, Jack was recruited to Crossroads in Dayton where he has been thriving ever since. The reason? Everyday Jack “gets to say the right things while avoiding the pitfalls of dismissing someone’s pain.”

August is National Grief Awareness Month

National Grief Awareness Month is a dedicated observance every August that encourages open conversations about loss and promotes understanding of the grieving process. Grief Awareness Month began with Grief Awareness Day which falls on August 30. It was created by Angie Cartwright, an author, grief expert and activist, in 2014 to raise awareness about grief and loss, supporting healing and closure while recognizing that grief takes many forms and affects each individual differently. By fostering compassion and understanding, National Grief Awareness Month encourages individuals and communities to better support those navigating loss.

At One-Year Betterleave’s Impact is Evident

Family Bereavement Communication Texting Platform Shows Real Time Progress

Last July we teased the soon-to-arrive Betterleave, a family communication platform designed for the sole purpose of keeping in touch with bereaved families and knowing, in real time, how a family’s journey through loss is progressing.

Now, at the one-year mark, according to Crossroads Vice President of Clinical Support Sherri Bickley, Betterleave “added another level of care, that’s great and it saves time and money,” she said. 

Because of the elimination of administrative work like mailing letters and leaving voicemail messages, Crossroads Bereavement Coordinators now can spend more of their professional time tending to the needs of grieving families in person. Also, because of real-time alerts that escalate patient issues quickly, the integrated hospice team can respond to families’ needs more quickly.

Betterleave is an “industry-leading, HIPAA-compliant conversational SMS platform designed to deepen our connection with patients’ families through 13-month bereavement.”

More Support and Communication with the Family

Betterleave is the brainchild of Cara Abbott, its founder and leader. As with many inventions in healthcare delivery, Betterleave, was born out of a healthcare journey that could have been a much better experience.

In a span of 12 short weeks Cara lost her mother to a terminal illness. While her mom was very well cared for in hospice, after she passed, as a family caregiver, Cara lacked bereavement support. She invented Betterleave to provide a higher level of support and communication with families. 

Betterleave is currently engaged by 60 different hospices caring for 25,000 patients and their families. According to Cara, “Crossroads’ families are engaging more than the average benchmark across all customers.”

Full integration with Crossroads’ Electronic Medical Records software platform Curantis is next. Currently, the Philadelphia site is testing the integration which offers even more streamlining and less manual imputing of data, according to Cara. Sherri shares Cara’s excitement. This is even more automation to reduce Crossroads clinicians’ paperwork.

Crossroads & Betterleave One Year Data

3,214 Family Members
56% Engaged
44% Responses (to automated text messages)
296 Positive Pieces of Feedback
210 Problem Solving Triages
7% Opt Out

The Dog Days of Summer are Now

Share Your Pet Photos!

Who knew? The “Dog Days of Summer” have nothing to do with dogs. Traditionally running for 40 days from July 3 to August 11, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac, we're nearing the end of the "Dog Days of Summer" now.

At this time of year the Earth’s axis tilts the Northern Hemisphere directly toward the Sun, causing our hottest, most sweltering days of summer.

“Dog Days of Summer” is a direct translation of the Latin dies caniculares or "days of the dog star,” referring to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius.  Because it’s part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog, Sirius is nicknamed the Dog Star.

Email Your Favorite Pet Photos!

“Dog Days of Summer” really does sound like it’s about dogs even if it isn’t. That’s according to the multi-billion-dollar pet industry and pet lovers alike. Starting now with YOU, Crossroads is joining the vibrant pet photo social media “Dog Days of Summer” community. 

Follow These Easy Instructions:

• Email your favorite, posed or candid pet photos or have a photo shoot with your pet with multiple photos that illustrate the “Dog Days of Summer.”
• No need to give the pets all the limelight, we welcome you to pose with your pet.
• Email your photos to photos@crossroadshospice.com.
• Please share your pet’s name, breed, and any fun facts.

According to the American Pet Products Association 95 million U.S. households own a pet. If you’re one of them and would like to share how photogenic your pet is during the “Dog Days of Summer,” we hope to receive your photos at photos@crossroadshospice.com any time in the month of August! Until then, we hope you and your pets stay cool.