Submitted Photo Carna Pierce, LMSW and CHPC Grief Counselor, stands with Jami Babcock, General Physician PC Practice Manage, at the GPPC office entrance.

Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care and General Physician PC have announced their collaboration to sponsor a support group for parents who have lost a child. HOPE Grief Support Group will meet the third Monday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at the General Physician, PC’s Dunkirk office, 3898 Vineyard Drive, Suite #3.

HOPE is an acronym for “Healing Our Pain with Empathy.” All parents who have experienced the death of a child are invited to participate in the group, which is free of charge.

The collaboration is the result of the unique convergence of General Physician PC’s desire to expand its practice beyond the traditional boundaries of a medical practice and the General Physician PC Practice Manager’s struggle with the loss of her child.

“The loss of my son, Jared, led me to the grief counselors at Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care,” said Jami Babcock, GPPC’s Practice Manager. “All my efforts to deal with my grief were unsuccessful until I finally started to find hope in the guidance they gave me.”

Parents who have lost a child face profound challenges managing their grief. Those challenges affect every aspect of a survivor’s life including health. The connection of profound grief to health and GPPC’s desire to reach beyond its traditional healthcare boundaries was the seed that made the HOPE Grief Support Group collaboration possible.

“CHPC was looking to expand its support to parents who have experienced the death of a child,” said Carna Peirce, LMSW and Grief Counselor. “Our conversations with Jamie opened the door for this unique collaboration.”

The mission of Chautauqua Hospice and Palliative Care is to provide end of life education and care in Chautauqua County. CHPC provides hospice care for patients and families facing life-limiting terminal illness, palliative care for those with serious chronic illness, and bereavement support to individuals, families and organizations who have suffered the loss of a loved one. For more information, visit www.chpc.care or call (716)338-0033, x212.