Gilchrist's History - from 1994 to the Present

Gilchrist’s History – In the Beginning

From Hospice of Baltimore to Gilchrist Hospice Care

Founded in 1994, Gilchrist was first named Hospice of Baltimore and provided hospice care in homes across Baltimore County. Three years later, Gilchrist partnered with Hospice Services of Howard County. It then became Hospice of Baltimore & Howard County. In 1996, Gilchrist Center Towson  opened – Gilchrist’s first  hospice center on the GBMC campus. This center allows Gilchrist to care for patients whose pain and other symptoms are too difficult to manage at home.

In 2008, the organization was renamed Gilchrist Hospice Care in honor of our founding benefactor Jeanne “Jinny” Gilchrist Vance. Her philanthropy and vision were instrumental to the creation and continued growth of the organization, and ensure that no one is ever turned away regardless of their ability to pay. In 2009, Gilchrist Center Towson expanded from 24 to 34 beds. due to higher demand for inpatient hospice care. This demand then led to the creation of our second  hospice center – Gilchrist Center Howard County, a 10-bed unit in Columbia. In 2014, Gilchrist merged with the Joseph Richey House,  the only residential hospice center in Baltimore City. The center, formerly on Eutaw Street, relocated to its current home on 33rd Street in 2021 where Memorial Stadium once stood. The William L. and Victorine Q. Adams Gilchrist Center Baltimore has 22 beds and provides end of life care to the underserved community.

Becoming Gilchrist

Always looking to meet the needs of our community, Gilchrist began providing geriatric care to the chronically ill for those not yet eligible for hospice in, and rebranded as Gilchrist in 2017. This messages to the community that Gilchrist is more than hospice.

Since its founding and still today, Gilchrist relies on charitable donations  to help us cover the costs of care that are not reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurers. Donations provide charity care for those with no insurance and enable our complementary programs like music therapy, Gilchrist Kids, and We Honor Veterans.

Our Mission

To provide counseling, support, and care to anyone with serious illness, so that they may live life to the fullest.

Our Vision

We are deeply committed to giving people the clear information and loving support they need to make informed choices about their care.

Our Positioning Statement

Our life-affirming programs ensure that our patients have the best possible quality of life and the opportunity to live every moment to its fullest.

Our North Star

Be the undisputed leading provider of serious illness and end of life care in the mid-Atlantic region. We offer our community a wide range of patient and family centered services regardless of their ability to pay.

Today and Always

• Gilchrist is the leading hospice provider in Maryland.
• Gilchrist cares for more than 900 terminally ill individuals every day.
• We are committed to meeting the needs of each and every patient, wherever they live—at home, in a residential community care center (assisted living facilities, group homes or retirement communities)—or at one of our three Gilchrist centers.
• Gilchrist provides patients, their caregivers and family members with specialized care and guidance too. We help them address the complex physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs that often accompany a life-limiting illness.
• We care for all patients in need of hospice care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Gilchrist is:

• Certified by Medicare
• Fully licensed by the State of Maryland
• Accredited by CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner)
• An affiliate of Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC)

And a Member of the Following Organizations:

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• Hospice Alliance of the National Capital Area
• Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland
• Global Partners in Care
• Alliance Kids