The inpatient hospice unit, which originally opened in 2018 in the Ben F. Roach Building at the UK Markey Cancer Center, will transition to a refreshed and newly designed space at Good Samaritan. The new location will offer an increase in capacity from 10 to 11 private rooms, each designed to provide the comforts of home alongside expert symptom management.

Last week, the unit’s new space opened with a ribbon cutting and reception. The relocation brings a number of benefits for patients, families, and care teams. Family members and other visitors will now enjoy easier parking access and closer proximity to restaurants and other amenities in the downtown Lexington area. Inside the hospital, the unit is just steps away from services like the cafeteria and chapel — resources that were previously a longer walk for visitors navigating the main medical campus.

“We are honored to welcome the inpatient hospice unit to Good Samaritan Hospital and proud to support this meaningful partnership with Bluegrass Care Navigators,” said Angie Lang, chief administrative officer for Good Samaritan Hospital. “This transition reflects our shared commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care in a setting that offers greater comfort and convenience for families during a deeply personal time.”

The move strengthens a long-standing collaboration between UK HealthCare and Bluegrass Care Navigators, a partnership that brings expert hospice care to patients dealing with advanced illnesses including cancer, cardiac and pulmonary disease, renal and liver conditions, and neurological disorders.

“Bluegrass Care Navigators and UK HealthCare have long shared a commitment to ensuring that patients and families receive expert medical, emotional, and spiritual support during life’s final stages. The relocation of our inpatient hospice unit continues that mission — providing compassionate care that upholds dignity, comfort and meaningful connection,” said Liz Fowler, Bluegrass Care Navigators president and CEO. 

Bluegrass Care Navigators is a nationally respected nonprofit organization that provides expert, compassionate care for those navigating serious illness and end-of-life transitions. Formerly known as Hospice of the Bluegrass, the organization has served Kentucky families for more than 40 years through a range of services including hospice care, palliative care, grief support and caregiver resources.

Learn more about the inpatient hospice unit or end-of-life care services at www.bgcarenav.org.

UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.