Fifteen Years of Compassion: Honoring the Purpose Behind Gilchrist Center Howard County
When Gilchrist Center Howard County opened its doors in Columbia in 2011, it represented the culmination of decades of hospice care in Howard County.
The journey began in 1977, when local volunteers first explored the idea of creating a hospice program for the community. Through the years, that vision grew from a grassroots volunteer effort into Hospice Services of Howard County and eventually became part of Gilchrist. Today, as Gilchrist Center Howard County celebrates its 15th anniversary, it is an opportunity to reflect not only on the center’s history but also on the reason it exists in the first place: patients and families like Jill M.’s. For Jill, Gilchrist Center Howard County has become more than a place to receive care. It’s a source of comfort, relief, and peace during one of life’s most difficult chapters.
A Life Filled with Adventure and Creativity
Jill’s life has been defined by adventure and change. Growing up, she moved frequently because of her father’s career, living in states across the country—from Hawaii and Massachusetts to Arizona, Illinois, California, and New Mexico. While each move brought new experiences, it was New Mexico where Jill attended high school and college and where she ultimately found the place she still considers home.
After graduating in the late 1970s, Jill moved to Washington, D.C., where she met her future husband, Steve, while they both worked for the U.S. Treasury Department. Together they built a life filled with adventure, raised two daughters, welcomed two beloved grandchildren, and created countless memories across the country.
Professionally, Jill spent her career in information technology, including roles at the IRS, the University of New Mexico, the University of California, Berkeley, and federal agencies in the Washington region. But ask Jill how she defines herself, and she won’t start with her career. At heart, she is an artist. After retirement, Jill devoted more time to her creative passions. She painted stunning oil portraits of family and friends, as well as commissioned subjects. She studied Italian and developed conversational fluency through classes and conversation groups with native speakers. She spent years learning to play guitar, particularly enjoying Beatles music, and she and her husband traveled extensively throughout Europe, especially Italy. “I’ve always been a creative person,” Jill says. Those passions helped shape a life rich with experiences, relationships, and personal growth.
An Unimaginable Diagnosis
Several years ago, Jill was diagnosed with breast cancer. She faced treatment with resilience and continued embracing the life she loved. Years later, she was diagnosed with a rare liposarcoma, a cancer that can sometimes occur following radiation treatment. Then, another devastating blow arrived. Her husband, Steve, was also diagnosed with terminal metastatic adrenal cancer. “It was unbelievably unlikely,” Jill says. Instead of one spouse becoming a caregiver for the other, Jill and Steve found themselves fighting separate battles at the same time. The future they had imagined for their retirement years was suddenly replaced by doctors’ appointments, treatments, and difficult conversations neither expected to have.
As their illnesses progressed, managing their home became increasingly difficult. Seeking access to specialized medical care and wanting to be closer to their daughters, the couple made the difficult decision to leave Virginia and relocate to Maryland. They moved into a continuing care retirement community near their family and closer to treatment at Johns Hopkins. But even with support, their health challenges continued to intensify.
Finding Gilchrist
Following surgery and increasingly complex medical treatments, Jill’s care needs became more difficult to manage at home. While living in her retirement community apartment, she found herself needing additional support and guidance as her illness progressed. Jill had heard positive things about Gilchrist from friends, healthcare providers, and others in the community. So when her oncologist finally suggested hospice care and recommended Gilchrist, the decision felt like the right one. “I had already heard really good things about it,” Jill says. “I had a very positive impression just from word of mouth.”
She began receiving hospice services from Gilchrist in her apartment, where nurses provided symptom management, wound care, and support. What started as home hospice care would eventually lead her to Gilchrist Center Howard County, where she is now finding comfort, relief, and peace of mind during one of the most challenging chapters of her life. The transition has brought an immediate sense of relief. For months, Jill had been balancing her own serious illness while also worrying about her husband, whose cancer treatments had significantly impacted his health and capabilities.
“I am thrilled to be here,” she says. “Everyone takes such good care of me. It’s not only good care, but a mental and emotional relief.” At the center, Jill has found something she hasn’t felt in a long time: the ability to simply focus on herself and her family rather than managing medical needs. “The whole place is just a good vibe for me,” she says. “The nurses are so well trained and just great.”
She appreciates the peaceful environment, the outdoor spaces where family can gather, and the reassurance that someone is always available if she needs help. Most importantly, she feels safe. For Jill, hospice has allowed her to focus on comfort, meaningful visits with loved ones, and making the most of the time she has.
The Importance of Hospice Care
Jill wishes more people understood what hospice truly is. Many people believe hospice is only for the final days of life. Others don’t realize hospice care can be provided wherever a patient calls home, or that it offers emotional support, symptom management, family guidance, music therapy, grief support, and much more.
“I keep hearing that people leave it until the last three days, which makes no sense to me,” she says. Hospice is not about giving up. It is about improving quality of life, maximizing comfort, and helping patients and families make the most of the time they have together. “I think people don’t realize all the things hospice offers. Why wouldn’t you use it?”
For fifteen years, Gilchrist Center Howard County has provided support to thousands of patients and families across the region. For Jill, that support has meant far more than medical care. It has given her peace of mind, relief from the burden of managing complex health needs, and the opportunity to focus on what matters most: time with her family, visits from her grandchildren, and the comfort of knowing she is surrounded by compassionate caregivers.
As Gilchrist Center Howard County celebrates its 15th anniversary, stories like Jill’s serve as a reminder of the center’s true purpose. Behind every room, every caregiver, and every year of service is a person navigating one of life’s most difficult journeys. For Jill, Gilchrist has provided comfort, dignity, and support when she needed it most—and for fifteen years, the center has done the same for countless families throughout Howard County.
Ensuring Care for Everyone
One of the things that makes Gilchrist unique is its commitment to caring for anyone who needs hospice services. Most hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. However, there are times when patients need services that are not fully reimbursed or face financial challenges that create barriers to care. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Gilchrist is able to provide compassionate care regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
