Liberty Hall ribbon cutting marks grand opening
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System held an official ribbon cutting ceremony for its Liberty Hall hospice care unit Aug. 17, 2021 at the main hospital in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
“Sometimes our Veterans with life-limiting illnesses need more care than what’s possible at home,” said Dr. Robert Lake, Chief of Geriatrics for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System. “Now they can receive this care in Liberty Hall, designed specifically with the needs of hospice patients and families in mind.”
Liberty Hall was designed to create a home-like environment where Veterans and their families can feel comfortable and at ease. As you walk down the hallway, you will notice that the outside of each room is painted a different color to reflect Charleston’s iconic Rainbow Row. In front each of the seven rooms, a memory box has been installed for Veterans and their loved ones to place momentos and keep sakes, along with flameless candles that light the hallway. Each one of the seven rooms offer a large handicap accessible bathroom with a companioning patient lift for comfort and ease for the Veteran and their family, a sleeper couch, a television, dresser, and a reclining chair.
“The name Liberty Hall was chosen by families of our former hospice patients, meant to evoke the concept of periods of respite from the working environment or combat in the military,” said Dr. Lake. “This new space will provide a peaceful and homelike setting to care for our Veterans with advanced serious illness.”
Amenities for family members visiting and staying with their loved ones in Liberty Hall include a family lounge right at the entrance of the facility, a family breakroom that offers a refrigerator and a microwave, a nutrition station, where families can keep snacks and other foods for their loved ones, and a hospital provider area staffed with personnel in case they have any questions or concerns.
Veterans and their families can rest assure that they will get top quality care in Liberty Hall. A full-time staff of doctors and nurses are located on the hall and are available around the clock.
“It will be staffed by a specially trained interdisciplinary care team of hospice nurses, physicians, aides, social workers, chaplains and volunteers,” said Dr. Lake. “This care team all works together to care for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the Veterans and their loved ones.”
The ribbon cutting, which was held at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 17, was attended by members throughout of the hospital. Opening remarks were made by Chaplain James Scott, Director and Chief Executive Officer Scott Isaacks, and Dr. Robert Lake.
“Liberty Hall fulfils our mission as the Veterans Administration in giving quality of life to our Veterans,” said Chaplain Scott. “We are giving total quality of life; body, soul, and spirit, and Liberty hall is designed with our Veterans always first.”
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System is here for our Veterans and their loved ones during their times of need. For a full video walk through of Liberty Hall, press here.