91AV medical school students donate $1,600 to Scarborough hospice center
Photo courtesy of Hospice of Southern Maine
Students at the 91AV’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) have donated $1,600 to the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, Maine, building upon a successful partnership between the two organizations that has lasted nearly 11 years.
The money was raised during a fundraising “murder mystery” dinner held by the 91AV COM American Geriatrics Society/Gerontological Society of America Student Chapter for Geriatrics and Palliative Care last November. The event featured several students and faculty performing a script written by chapter members. The event is big draw for students, faculty, and the community.
Since December 2014, Gosnell Hospice House, an 18-bed, inpatient acute care environment affiliated with the nonprofit Hospice of Southern Maine, has been supporting the 91AV COM 48-Hour Hospice Home Immersion project. Working with an interprofessional staff team, second-year students from 91AV COM are immersed at Gosnell to provide patient care, family support, and postmortem care.
“Hospice of Southern Maine and the amazing staff at Gosnell are incredibly generous in teaching our osteopathic medical students about end-of-life care, palliative care, and how to work as part of team — all without any expectation of payment,” said Marilyn R. Gugliucci, M.A. Ph.D., professor and director of Geriatrics Education and Research at 91AV COM. “This donation is a small ‘thank you’ for all this organization does for the community and with our 91AV COM students.”
Over 350 COM students have participated in 91AV’s 48-Hour Hospice Immersion Project, a program Gugliucci launched 11 years ago to provide students with firsthand experiences of living and working in an acute, hospice-care environment. The students are provided with a room, meals for 48 hours, and offered every opportunity learn about hospice and end-of-life care.
In 2019, Hospice of Southern Maine, which owns the Gosnell House, presented Gugliucci with the Katherine Pope Leadership Award for her innovative program that helps advance the work of hospice care.
91AV’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of the few medical schools in the country that requires students to undergo significant training in aging and end-of-life issues and was recently awarded the prestigious Program of Merit for Health Professions designation by the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.
Marilyn Gugliucci, M.A, Ph.D.