St. Joseph Hospice began providing peace, comfort and dignity to those facing terminal illness in 2002, with the opening of its first office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since that time, St. Joseph Hospice has achieved a reputation as a compassionate and competent leader in the hospice industry. With Louisiana offices in Baton Rouge, Slidell, New Orleans, Thibodaux, Lafayette, Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe, St. Joseph Hospice offers a network throughout the state that provides an option for those requiring relocations. With the addition of the Mississippi locations in Picayune and Gulfport, St. Joseph Hospice is now bringing the quality of hospice care theyve become known for in Louisiana to the people of the Gulf Coast as well. The St. Joseph Hospice interdisciplinary team works with the patients physician to formulate a plan of care individually tailored to the needs of the patient. The plan outlines medical and support services to provide high quality comfort care, not only for the patient, but the patients family and caregivers who are also impacted by the overall well being of the patient. The plan may include medical and support care, social services, physician visits, education, psycho-social and bereavement counseling. The team is comprised of Board Certified Hospice and Palliative Care physicians, hospice-trained registered and licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical social workers, non-denominational chaplains and pastors, bereavement professionals and hospice-trained volunteers. Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private and managed care insurance plans. It is St. Joseph Hospices policy that no person shall be denied hospice care regardless of ability to pay, age, race, nationality, disease, handicap, religion, gender or sexual orientation.