With the help of a donor, Whatcom Hospice makes this significant land purchase
Whatcom Hospice has ensured its facility can maintain its tranquil environment setting and possibly grow in the future with the purchase of nearly 9 acres of nearby property.
The undeveloped land to the east of Whatcom Hospice was purchased for $5.8 million, with the majority of the money coming from an anonymous donor, said PeaceHealth spokeswoman Bev Mayhew. The seller of the property was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
“The purchase by the Whatcom Hospice Foundation would not have been possible without this generosity,” Mayhew said in an email.
The foundation’s board president, Lynda Erickson, noted two reasons for the purchase of the property: To further its mission by potentially expanding the facility, but more importantly maintaining a tranquil environment for patients and their families.
Erickson added that the board and staff “are profoundly appreciative of this opportunity to maintain and perhaps expand the serene surroundings that bring comfort to those at their end of life, and to their families,” adding that there are no immediate plans for development.
The foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that wholly owns the property and buildings that together comprise the Whatcom Hospice campus on Douglas Avenue. The foundation contracts with PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center to manage the day-to-day operations of Whatcom Hospice, including the 12-bed Hospice House.
