History of Hospice Orillia
Hospice Orillia started in September 1988, at a meeting joining two groups; one community based, one hospital based. Both groups were interested in developing support services for terminally ill people of Orillia and area.
The hospital-based group had recently formed a friendly visiting network, and the community based group wished to support this service and extend it to the community. Also, the hope was to provide palliative care education to the community, so that terminally ill patients would experience improved medical care.
Hospice Orillia became incorporated in November 1989, and received a charitable number in early 1990. We became members of CHAO (Community Hospice Association of Ontario) in 1990.
In 2011, the Hospice Association of Ontario integrated with the Ontario Palliative Care Association, becoming Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. In 2012, Hospice Orillia received Level II accreditation with HPCO.
On June 3, 2014, Hospice Orillia and the North Simcoe Muskoka Palliative Care Network amalgamated. This merger resulted in a new name: The North Simcoe Muskoka Hospice Palliative Care Network. This integration was completed to improve the service delivery for both agencies, by using our administrative resources more effectively. Hospice Orillia continues to provide the same great hospice program the community has enjoyed for over 25 years. It operates formally as “Hospice Orillia – A Division of the North Simcoe Muskoka Hospice Palliative Care Network.”
