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Hospice hires community director

July 27, 2006|Lisa King

The Hospice of the Bluegrass Jessamine County has a new director of Community Programs.

Beth Potter was hired July 10 to replace Julie Lashier, who is moving to Milwaukee, Wis.

Potter, a native of Jenkins, Ky., comes to Hospice from the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center, where she was the Cancer Control Initiative director. She went into rural areas, mainly in Appalachia, to promote cancer awareness and develop screening programs and local cancer coalitions.

As a new staff member, Potter said she is excited to be a part of the local hospice team.

Part of her job will be to enhance cancer awareness, provide organizational support for community efforts.

"I will be the face of Jessamine County," she said.

Potter has a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in education from the University of Kentucky. She lives in Lexington with her husband, Jack, and their children, Adam, Jacob and Haley.

Lashier had been director of community programs at the Jessamine County Hospice for the past four years. She is moving to Milwaukee because her husband will be pursuing his doctorate degree at Marquette University. She said that even though she will miss all the friends she has made and worked with in Jessamine County, she is excited about going to Wisconsin because she will be able to expand upon her second passion - the ministry.

"I am a pastor at heart," she said. "Even though I am experienced in administration, I am a chaplain by trade, and in Milwaukee, I will be a hospital chaplain."

Lashier said her experience in Jessamine County will benefit her in the future.

"It has been such a great experience here, being a spiritual caregiver, and I will miss the patients and their families, as well as the staff here," she said.

The Jessamine County Hospice was established in 1978 by Ruth Ann Fain and the late Jackie West as an independent hospice, merging with Hospice of the Bluegrass in 1998. The local hospice, located at 109 Shannon Parkway, serves between 30 and 40 patients. Staff members include Potter, Jamieson Gann, community resources coordinator, Janice Purdy, bereavement counselor, and Judy Eldridge, office manager.

For more information, call 887-2696.

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