Better Together

In Part 2 of our conversation with Sandy Carmichael, we continue exploring the early years of hospice and the experiences that shaped its foundation. Sandy reflects on building hospice during a time of growth and change, the importance of advocacy and leadership, and the role community support played in making that work possible. This episode continues the Honoring the Past, Rebuilding the Future series and highlights how those early efforts continue to influence the work being done today.

Learn more about our hospice at ourhospice.org or by calling 812-314-8083.

The holidays can be especially challenging for individuals and families who are grieving. In this episode of the Better Together Podcast, President and host Steph Cain is joined by Paula Neibert, LSW, Bereavement Specialist at Our Hospice, for a thoughtful and compassionate conversation about navigating grief during the holiday season.

Paula shares insights from her work coordinating bereavement programs at Our Hospice, offering practical guidance, gentle reassurance, and meaningful ways to honor loved ones while caring for yourself. Together, Steph and Paula explore common emotions that surface during the holidays, how grief can change from year to year, and the importance of giving yourself permission to grieve in your own way.

This episode serves as a supportive reminder that no one has to walk through grief alone—and that help, understanding, and hope are available, even during the most difficult seasons.

Listen now at ourhospice.org/podcast and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. To learn more about bereavement services at Our Hospice, visit ourhospice.org or call 812-314-8083.

Episode 15 of the Better Together Podcast continues our Honoring the Past, Rebuilding the Future series with a special two-part conversation featuring Sandy Carmichael, one of our founders and first leader of Our Hospice.

In Part 1, Sandy reflects on the earliest days of hospice in our community—sharing stories of grassroots efforts, education, fundraising, and the relationships that helped shape Our Hospice from the very beginning. Her insights offer a meaningful look at the foundation that made today’s care possible.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where the conversation continues as Sandy shares more about the growth of hospice care, advocacy at the state and national level, and the lasting legacy of those early efforts.

In Part 2 of our Honoring the Past, Rebuilding the Future series, we welcome our first guest in the series: longtime community leader, volunteer, and donor Hutch Shumaker. Hutch, a third-generation owner of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Columbus, reflects on his decades of service supporting Our Hospice—dating back to the organization’s earliest days.

With warmth, humor, and deep sincerity, Hutch shares how a simple flyer and a $100 check led him into the second-ever volunteer training class in the early 1980s. He recounts meaningful moments at the bedside, unforgettable home visits, and the powerful lessons learned while walking alongside families at the end of life. Hutch also revisits the origins of early hospice traditions, including Christmas caroling and the creation of the first Hospice Concert.

Through his stories, Hutch offers a heartfelt reminder of how compassion, community, and the courage to show up can transform lives. His reflections honor the legacy of those who built the foundation of hospice care—and inspire us as we look toward the future.

A moving and memorable conversation you won’t want to miss.

Listen now at ourhospice.org/podcast

In this episode, host and President Steph Cain sits down with longtime board members Tom Dowd and Dr. Dave Thompson to look back on the original 2003 capital campaign that made our Hospice Center a reality. Together, they share heartfelt stories from those early days—how the Columbus community rallied around a vision for compassionate end-of-life care, how donors and partners stepped forward, and what it felt like to see the Center open its doors for the first time.

Tom and Dr. Dave also reflect on the years since: the growth of Our Hospice, the families served within these walls, and the lasting impact of those who helped build the Center more than 20 years ago. As Steph introduces the new Hospice Center Refresh Campaign, the conversation naturally shifts toward the future—why the refresh is needed, how it honors our original donors, and how it will help us continue delivering what matters most to patients and families for decades to come.

It’s a thoughtful blend of history, gratitude, and a shared vision for the next chapter of our mission.

Listen now at ourhospice.org/podcast. Available on YouTube, Apple and Spotify.

In this episode of the Better Together Podcast, President and host Steph Cain sits down with Beth West, RN Case Manager serving patients and families in Decatur County.

As part of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, we’re celebrating the compassionate professionals who make our mission possible every day—and Beth offers a meaningful look into that work. She shares, in her own words, what a typical day in hospice nursing looks like: coordinating care, managing symptoms, supporting loved ones, and being present for families during some of life’s most profound moments.

Listen now at ourhospice.org/podcast and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

To learn more about Our Hospice, visit ourhospice.org or call 812-314-8083.

On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, host Steph Cain, President of Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, sits down with Dennis Fogle to reflect on community, caregiving, and what it really means to show up for one another. Dennis shares grounded wisdom, memorable stories, and the small practices that add up to dignity, comfort, and connection—especially when life feels heaviest. If you’re a caregiver, a healthcare professional, or simply someone trying to love your people well, this conversation offers calm clarity and practical encouragement.

Listen and follow:

• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceSpotify

• Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceApplePodcast

• YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceYoutubeChannel

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The Better Together Podcast is produced by Our Hospice of South Central Indiana to educate, encourage, and connect our South Central Indiana community with compassionate end-of-life and palliative care resources.

In this Better Together episode, Steph Cain sits down with Sarah Stephens, Manager of Support Services at Our Hospice, to demystify advanced care planning—before a crisis hits. Sarah shares how simple, early conversations about “what matters most to you—today and later” can bring families peace, reduce stress, and ensure care aligns with personal values, faith, and end-of-life wishes.

You’ll hear:

Why talking now (while calm) protects your loved ones during hard moments

A moving family story about honoring faith traditions at the end of life

Practical first steps: how to start the conversation with your care team and family

The role of living wills and healthcare proxies—and how they work together

How hospice support (social workers, chaplains, nurses) helps you plan so you can be present

Listen & subscribe:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceSpotify

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceApplePodcast

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/OurHospiceYoutubeChannel

If this episode helps, please share it with a friend or caregiver who may need it. We’re here to make every moment count—together. 💜

Hosted by Steph Cain — President of Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, this inspiring conversation with community leader and philanthropist Sherry Stark explores how small acts of service grow into a lifetime of impact. Sherry shares the family values that shaped her giving, the transformational gift honoring her parents that helped advance palliative care, and a fearless “off-the-diving-board” moment that changed her path. Guided by Steph’s thoughtful questions, you’ll learn practical ways to start serving today—and how generosity, curiosity, and community help families make every moment count across South Central Indiana.

Listen here:

Spotify: tinyurl.com/OurHospiceSpotify

Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/OurHospiceApplePodcast

YouTube: Https://youtu.be/VoMBOcGNmyE

In this Better Together episode, host Steph Cain sits down with Sarah Stephens, LCSW and Manager of Support Services at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, to talk candidly about caregiving—the hardest job many of us will ever do, emotionally and physically. Sarah shares how her team of social workers, chaplains, and bereavement counselors surrounds families with education, safe space, and practical tools, so caregivers feel less alone and more confident throughout the hospice journey