In the late 1970s, community volunteers Flo Carris and Susan Langstaff saw an opportunity to meet a profound need in the Colorado Springs community. Having learned about the hospice philosophy, these dedicated women envisioned specialized end-of-life care focused on the unique needs of the individuals this care would serve.
Joined by many volunteers and financial supporters, Carris and Langstaff established hospice care in El Paso County, Colorado. Through this commitment, terminally ill individuals and their loved ones were ensured a compassionate, comfortable, and dignified life closure. This vision became Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care.
Since its formal inception in 1980, Pikes Peak Hospice has grown from:
- Serving one patient and family each day in 1980, to serving more than 200 patients and families daily.
- A staff of one part-time employee and 50 active volunteers in 1980 to a staff of 100 committed employees and a trained volunteer corps of more than 150 dedicated people.
- Providing care only in patients’ homes in 1980 to caring for people in their homes, in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and in our own specialized acute care Inpatient Unit.
- Providing quality, basic hospice services in 1980 to multiple programs providing extraordinary care including extensive palliative consultation services and multiple Complementary Therapies.
- The formation of Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation in 1998 to raise funds in support of services and capital needs of Pikes Peak Hospice.
Such growth would not have been possible without the generous support of our entire community, and the commitment of staff and volunteers providing the extraordinary hospice care which meets a clear need in our community.
