Skip to main content

Nationwide hospice network is now open in Huntington

Two of the Huntington Compassus location’s employees, Case Manager Priscilla Sparks, RN, (left) and Director of Clinical Services Callaleigh Fike, RN, can see clients in the office as well as make house calls. The facility serves hospice and palliative care patients in Adams, Allen, Huntington and Wells counties.
Two of the Huntington Compassus location’s employees, Case Manager Priscilla Sparks, RN, (left) and Director of Clinical Services Callaleigh Fike, RN, can see clients in the office as well as make house calls. The facility serves hospice and palliative care patients in Adams, Allen, Huntington and Wells counties. Photo by Rebecca Sandlin.

The newest location of a nationwide hospice network has opened in Huntington, serving patients in four counties.
Compassus, located at 2855 Northpark Ave. Suite 101, opened its doors Nov. 19, offering hospice and palliative care, according to Director of Clinical Services Callaleigh Fike, RN, who has been with the company since August.

“We have over 130 programs across the United States,” Fike explains, adding Compassus was requested to come to the area by several local facilities and by Optum, a nurse practitioner provider company that has chosen Compassus as its preferred hospice facility. Compassus is the only hospice service located in Huntington, she says.

Like any hospice care, patients must need a prognosis/life expectancy of six months or less. Palliative service, also known as symptom management, is an alternative for patients such as those suffering from chronic pain.

“We have a nurse practitioner who goes in and sees them once or twice a month, and then they would check them out, prescribe pain medications,” Fike says, “and it’s really nice for people who have a hard time getting out of their homes; they don’t have to go to a clinic and we can actually come to them.”

A few of the things Fike would like to change about her job are some perceived notions and the stigma of “hospice” care.

“It seems like a lot of people hear the word and it’s a dirty word. It’s like, ‘Somebody’s going to go on hospice and that means we’re giving up and that’s it,’” she says. “Our company strives to help somebody pass away with dignity. We do that, but we also want to give somebody their goals of life. What do you want to do with the rest of your life, and how can we make that happen for you in a comfortable way? We want to let people have a good life leading up to the end, and not just focusing on the end.”

Compassus also focuses on families, providing nursing, aide, social worker, chaplain and other services such as arranging massage and music therapy.

Fike is joined in the Huntington location by Case Manager Priscilla Sparks, RN.

Compassus has business hours of Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Fike says someone can be reached 24-7 through an on-call operator.

“One thing our company is really proud of is we say ‘We’re always on our way,’” she says. “So, if somebody needed hospice services at 11 p.m., they call our office and it will ring to our messaging center and they’ll always get an answer. That will go to our on-call nurses, and there are always administrators on call if there is an emergency for somebody who is on our services. We will always come out no matter what time of day or night.”

Fike may be reached at Compassus by calling 888-1721. Additional information can be found on the Compassus website, compassus.com.