History and Mission

History

The Hospice of East Texas began with one woman’s vision.

Mrs. Evelyn Lake visited a friend in Arizona who was receiving hospice care and returned home to East Texas with the certainty that our community needed these caring services.  Her spark caught fire with The Junior League of Tyler who made Hospice its signature project, committing $30,000 and countless hours of volunteer time to start the organization.  With the support of the area’s three major hospitals, Hospice of East Texas was chartered in 1982.

The services of The Hospice of East Texas have expanded through the years, both in numbers of patients and families served and in the scope of the service area.  From 20 patients in 1982 to more than 2000 patients and families now served each year, The Hospice of East Texas now offers its caring services in 23 East Texas counties.

A major milestone was reached in 1993 when 23 acres of land were purchased as the site for what is now The Robert M. Rogers Hospice Center, housing both administrative offices and HomePlace, a 28 bed in-patient unit. Also on the campus is the Pat Oge Center for Living, a beautiful home-like setting for bereavement and support services. Successful capital campaigns in 1999 and 2002 allowed these state-of-the-art facilities to be built debt-free, giving The Hospice of East Texas a stability which is remarkable in the non-profit world.