Employee Spotlight: Kelly Kovach-Collicott

Name: Kelly Kovach-Collicott, Social Worker

How long have you worked here?

Three years.

What made you decide to work here?

I always knew I wanted to be a social worker but I kind of fell into business related jobs so I went that route for a little bit. Then I had the opportunity to start my Masters in Social Work. I knew the minute I started that that I wanted to work for Angela Hospice.

I made sure that one of my internships during the masters’ program was at a hospice. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be here at Angela’s. But eventually I made it here and just going from the business world to hospice, hospice is something I can believe in and really, truly feel that I’m helping people. So it’s much more pleasant than crunching numbers.

How had you heard of Angela Hospice?

Just being in the community and being Catholic in the community. Angela Hospice is what everybody used.

What’s a typical day like for you?

For me, I am an Admissions Social Worker, so I’m often one of the very first people that the families are meeting and talking to. So I go out and educate families and patients about hospice, and complete all the documentation needed to have them legally be a hospice patient. Then the nurse will come and do the nursing assessment. I could be anywhere on any given day going from one patient to another, covering any patient in any of the areas Angela Hospice visits.

Kelly's day often takes her all over the area,
including Angela Hospice.

What is your favorite part about working at Angela Hospice?

The relief that people have when we tell them we can help them.

I think the best thing, outside of the relief we offer the families, is how across the board all the departments, certainly the social work department, but nurses and everyone else too, is willing to help each other. There’s no sense of competition or loss of knowledge by sharing that knowledge with everybody else. We all work to make each other better.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time at Angela Hospice?

There was a pediatric patient and the family was having a very, very difficult time with the loss of their child. I was able to be there after the patient died and help the family to work together through their loss.