Kelsey Gagne Receives CHPNA Certification

Franklin County Home Health Agency is proud to announce that Kelsey Gagne has passed the required certification to become a Certified Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing Assistant (CHPNA).

For the CHPNA exam, applicants must have hospice and palliative nursing assistant practice of 500 hours in the most recent 12 months or 1,000 hours in the most recent 24 months under the supervision of a registered nurse in the United States prior to applying for the exam. Kelsey chose to pursue this certification independently, studying on her own personal time as well as meeting with the Hospice manager several times over two months to prepare for this exam.

With her certification, Kelsey will have a higher level of understanding and compassion when caring for Hospice patients and their families and will allow her to provide care to more Hospice clients professionally.  Kelsey will be able to provide more support and understanding to clients and their family members.

 “I was ready to take another step in my career and gain more knowledge. Being with someone during their last months is so humbling. I enjoy giving quality care to everyone but those at the end of their life need extra support and I want to be that caring and compassionate person for them”, Kelsey said.

Emma Cushing, Long-Term Care Coordinator and LNA Supervisor said, “Kelsey is a very confident, gentle and caring LNA and now with the completion of this certification, will be able to provide above par professional care to families during their time of need. Kelsey is a great addition to our FCHHA team”. Hospice Nurse Manager, Jeanne Dube, added, “Certification is being a part of a body of knowledge.  Certification brings expertise and broader knowledge to the Hospice, her peers, and more importantly to our clients and families we serve in Franklin County”.

Congratulations to Kelsey for her hard work and dedication to providing exceptional care to our patients.

For fifty years, Franklin County Home Health Agency has provided home health care and hospice to County residents of all ages and incomes. Services include both long and short term care as well as services that help people live independently, such as the Choices for Care, CareNet and Homemaker programs. FCHHA also provides skilled pediatric nursing and support for new mothers. The Agency also offers foot clinics throughout the year.

For more information about FCHHA, please contact Courtney Bates, Community Relations Coordinator, 393-6767, courtney.bates@fchha.org. Visit our website, www.fchha.org, or our Facebook page for more information on our programs.