EvenMORE For You

Our Registered Nurses Rule!

Getting to Know Crossroads’ Top Field Nurses

National Nurses Month was created by the American Nurses Association along with “May 6: National Recognition Day for Nurses” back in 1982. Both were an extension of National Nurses Week, which was proclaimed by President Richard Nixon in 1974.

According to the career web site Zippia, there are more than 1.5 million hospice registered nurses in America. 

This May in every EvenMORE for You edition we are showcasing two outstanding hospice registered nurses from each site beginning with Case Manager Melissa Woods, RN of Crossroads in Cleveland and Kaylee Yanovich, RN of Crossroads in NEO.

Introducing Case Manager Melissa Woods, RN

Her calm and soothing manner is something Case Manager Melissa Woods, RN is known for by both patients and their families and other Crossroads team members. It’s also what steered her towards hospice nursing upon the recommendation of her mother, a longtime aide.

After a successful career in cardiac nursing on a hospital unit and then as a nurse supervisor and nurse manager, Melissa was seeking “a change in pace.”  

Spurred by her Mom’s plug, she began looking into hospice nursing. She read about Crossroads’ Even More Care (EMC) program and tapped other sources for information about hospice nursing and decided to give it a try. That was seven years ago.

Melissa has been dedicated to families as the frontline coordinator of patients’ clinical and spiritual needs while supporting and educating families on the “journey of the dying process” ever since.

With her extremely sharp emotional intelligence and deep proven clinical experience, Melissa leads difficult end-of-life conversations with families in a highly professional and appropriate manner while coordinating all aspects of patients’ clinical care and social support services.

When she’s not on the job, Melissa enjoys spending time with her children, her animals and her boyfriend.

Introducing Case Manager Kaylee Yanovich, RN

Case Manager Kaylee Yanovich, RN has been with Crossroads for less than two years, but she has found her place beautifully in hospice nursing where she directs patient care from “admission to discharge, following the whole journey with a family.”

Kaylee embraces the concept of keeping patients as comfortable as possible which is a welcome contrast to her previous experience as a critical care oncology nurse. 

One day on Kaylee’s oncology unit in the hospital a patient was being admitted as a Crossroads patient. Kaylee and the admissions nurse had a chance to connect and talk about the rewards of hospice nursing. “I was with Crossroads the next week!” Kaylee said.

Like Melissa, she believes she has found her place in hospice nursing. “I love to help, and I jump at the opportunity to go where I’m most needed.”

Most recently, that has been with pediatric hospice patients, where she volunteered to work outside of her territory. While “it’s not for everyone,” Kaylee is excelling at supporting pediatric patients and their families through their end-of-life journeys. She knows she is playing a very special role and she rises to the occasion passionately and professionally.

Kaylee looks forward to making dinner when she gets off her shift. She loves to cook and bake and is on an ongoing quest for the perfect sourdough.

Fears, Anxiety, and Depression, Oh My!

Unlock the Power of Self-Care for Mental Well-being

By Emily Hammer
How does your mental health shape your life? Have you thought about fears, anxieties, depression, and worry as being a form of dis-ease? They all create dysregulation in the mind and often manifest in our bodies as headaches, stomachaches, and nausea. Mental health isn’t just about clinical diagnoses – persistent stress and worry can be just as damaging. When they become persistent, excessive, and interfere with daily life, they can indicate a mental health issue. The good news? You can take proactive steps before it becomes overwhelming.

The first step is awareness. How am I feeling? What behaviors might signal that my mental health needs attention? Am I willing to ask for help? 

Work and family often top the list of stressors. Competing priorities between work and home, can feel impossible, especially in a culture that still glorifies overworking. Those 60+ hour weeks might earn kudos with the boss, but at what cost to your well-being?   

Self-care is more than a buzzword – it’s a lifeline. When I make time for self-care, I’m a better version of myself. Whether it’s reading something uplifting, getting enough sleep, exercising, meditating, or simply sharing gratitude with friends – small actions create big shifts.  

Ready to start? 

• Prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Set calendar reminders until it becomes second nature.  
• Exercise at least 30 minutes most days. Do something you enjoy. Movement is medicine.  
• Get quality sleep.
• Make time for creative activities. It helps to boost mood and brainpower.
• Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
• Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Create a self-talk script that emphasizes compassion. Talk to yourself like you would to your pet – with love and patience. My cats remind me of this daily.  

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — the perfect time to start building habits that support your mind, body, and soul for a lifetime.

This is a perfect time to remind you of My Benefits Work – a free Telemedicine/mental health benefit to all full-time employees and your dependents. See your Employee Benefits Kit on www.mycrossroadsbenefits.com and register today!

Hospice News ELEVATE Hospice & Palliative Care Conference

Perry Farmer Represents Crossroads on CEO Panel

“Health care providers often mistakenly conflate palliative care with hospice.” That’s a quote from our Founder and CEO Perry Farmer in an article posted in Hospice News this week.

Hospice News “is an independent source for breaking news and up-to-date information on the hospice industry.” It is part of the Aging Media Network, a publishing company focused on the aging population.

Every April Hospice News produces the ELEVATE Hospice & Palliative Care Conference “where industry leaders and professionals come together to explore the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of palliative care.”

Perry attended this year’s ELEVATE Conference and appeared on the panel “Owning the Continuum: The Nuts and Bolts of Service Diversification” with two other hospice company CEOs. 

Perry said he heard “great ideas” from an “energetic crowd” of like-minded professionals working in all the business functions supporting end-of-life care at the ELEVATE Conference. Included were technology providers, pharmaceutical companies, bankers and investors, attorneys, health systems and hospice and palliative care company executives from mom-and-pop operators to multi-state players.

Avoiding Cannibalizing Trends in Hospice Service Diversification is the name of the Hospice News article quoting Perry and recapping the Panel that was posted this week. 

Perry felt right at home with the “big dogs” of the industry while realizing Crossroads “is not alone” when it comes to industry challenges and the quest for the best business models for delivering both hospice care and palliative services.

Optimism for the hospice industry was front and center at the ELEVATE Conference and Perry Farmer agrees. Crossroads’ future, especially as a smaller company with fewer locations, is going to be very bright.