The Board of Directors of Our Hospice of South Central Indiana has hired Stephanie Cain as successor to outgoing President, Laura Leonard who announced her retirement earlier this year.

“Stephanie is strategic operational leader with a proven track record. She has 15 years’ experience in the health care industry and brings her expertise in home health and hospice. The Board is very excited to welcome a seasoned professional who can lead Our Hospice and Palliative Care into the future," said Our Hospice Board President, Tom Dowd.

Cain joins Our Hospice from her role as the Statewide Director of Hospice for Indiana University Health, serving 39 counties and 16 hospitals across the state, including a 12-bed inpatient unit in Bloomington, IN. She has previous experience in home health with Trinity Healthcare and Advocate Home Health Services. Stephanie received a Master of Science in Health Administration (MHA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL).

Laura Leonard succeeded Our Hospice founder, Sandy Carmichael, who led the local hospice organization from its’ inception in 1980. She joined Our Hospice in November, 2013. During her tenure, Leonard has been instrumental in:

• Growing the number of patients served annually from 1100 patients to over 1450
• Increasing the number of staff from 148 to 170
• Developing a professional corporate image while maintaining the sense of a local organization serving communities in 16 counties in South Central Indiana.
• Achieving highest ratings in Quality and Service in the industry
• Expanding Bereavement care service to include children’s groups and outreach
• Launching Palliative Care as a new medical specialty in 2019 currently serving over 350 patients
• Initiating an endowment for future sustainability of unfunded or under-funded services including Palliative Care, Bereavement Care and the Hospice Center
• Strengthening and expanding the leadership structure and the strategic planning capability of the organization
• Setting a path for growth and financial sustainability

Board President, Tom Dowd, said, “Under Laura’s guidance, the organization has grown in many ways. She spearheaded the increase in the number of patients cared for, and also increased philanthropic support of our local hospice. By far, her greatest achievements include, the launching of Palliative Care, a service that is a critical need in the post-acute health continuum of care; and achieving a “no deficiencies or non-compliance” in two consecutive state and federal surveys. Launching a service line that receives only 14-17 cents on the dollar in reimbursement was a challenge, but she relentlessly drove toward the vision of bringing Palliative care to our community. The “clean” surveys of 2019 and 2022 demonstrate her unwavering pursuit of excellence. We will miss her, but she leaves Our Hospice and Palliative Care in a great position for the future and we wish her well in her retirement.”

Stephanie joined the organization on November 15 and will take the reins as President upon Laura’s retirement on December 31, 2022.

“We are excited to introduceStephanie to the community, and look forward to your continued support as we care for all those managing a serious illness pursuing the fulfillment of our mission, To Make Every Moment Count,” said Dowd.