Forty-five years ago, a small group of remarkable people looked around our community and saw something that did not sit right. Their neighbors were dying without dignity, without comfort, without the kind of human care every person deserves.

So they imagined something better.

Can you imagine the courage it took to say, “We are going to start a whole new kind of healthcare”? And not only that, it would be led by nurses and volunteers, grounded in compassion, and built for this community. We take the availability of hospice for granted, but this was so cutting-edge at the time!

I think often of Dr. Paul Johnson, Ellie Ellbogen, Louise Classen, Dan Sullivan, and Fred Goodstein. What an extraordinary group. And what an incredible gift they gave us.

Because of their vision, today we care for nearly 80 patients in our two Hospice Homes and in homes and ranches across three counties. Our nurses travel from Arminto to Guernsey, showing up day after day to care for our neighbors with skill and compassion. Their foresight also made possible the state’s first grief center, where we support families and children through loss of all kinds.

Lately, I have been thinking deeply about one of our core values: stewardship.

For me, stewardship is not just about managing donations wisely. It is about something much bigger. It is about asking: how do we take care of Dr. Johnson’s dream for the next 45 years? How do we make sure hospice remains strong and available in a rural community like ours?

We are facing real pressures—less government funding, more regulation, and a healthcare system that is becoming more consolidated, with large corporations and private equity buying up hospitals, pharmacies, and practices.

In the middle of all that, we have to protect something essential: a local nurse whose only concern is caring for your loved one. We have to make sure there is mental health support for grieving families and children. We have to make sure the safety net remains here for every neighbor who needs it.

That is where you come in.

Your support is not just about today. By supporting hospice, you are helping secure the next 45 years of compassionate, community-based care. You are helping ensure that when someone in central Wyoming faces the end of life, they are not alone—and that their family is cared for long after.

That was the legacy we were given. And together, it is the legacy we will carry forward.

With gratitude,

Kilty Brown
Executive Director, Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions