Marlina Schetting, MSW, LCSW, CT
Acting Executive Director
Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice

Marlina Schetting, MSW, LCSW, CT, has been named the acting executive director at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

“Through her many years of dedicated service to the organization, Marlina has demonstrated the skills needed to assume the role of acting executive director,” said Julia Quinlan, co-founder and chairman of the governing board.

Schetting will be the key management leader of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice and the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center. She is responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the organization. She will report directly to the governing board.

A longtime member of the hospice interdisciplinary team, Schetting has served the agency in several capacities for over 30 years and most recently as community administrator.

Schetting obtained her bachelor of science degree in human development from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and her master’s degree in social work from Marywood University. She holds a certification in thanatology from the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and a certification in field instruction from Rutgers University.

Schetting began her tenure with the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice as a hospice volunteer in 1986. She was instrumental in starting early bereavement programs such as “Camp Connections” Teen Camp and the Children’s Art Bereavement Program. Schetting has worked as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work, where she lectured on death and dying. She continues to supervise student social work interns in the tri-state area as a certified field instructor.

Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice was founded by the Quinlan family in 1980 to provide support to patients and families dealing with a life-limiting illness. This support allows patients to live life on their own terms and face the future with the dignity and comfort that we all deserve.

David Wilt, Sales Consultant/Assistant Manager at Subaru World of Newton shows the progress so far with the annual Share the Love campaign. Final results are not yet in, but by all accounts it was a great year!

Michael Fernandez, Sales Consultant/Assistant Sales Manager (l) and Stephon Hammonds, Senior Sales Consultant, demonstrate how they were able to track how many customers bought cars and directed the donation to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

The Subaru Share the Love campaign ran from November 15, 2018 to January 2, 2019. Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased at more than 628 participating Subaru retailers nationwide to the customer’s choice of a selection of local charities.

From November 15, 2018 to January 2, 2019, Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased at more than 628 participating Subaru retailers nationwide to the customer’s choice of the following national charities: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), Make-A-Wish®, Meals on Wheels America® and National Park Foundation.

In addition to the four national charity partners, Subaru retailers across the country have selected 681 local charitable organizations to support during this year’s Subaru Share the Love Event. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice was selected as the local charity recipient by Subaru World of Newton. Eleven years running, this year’s Subaru Share the Love Event marks the third consecutive year there will be no cap placed on the total donation from Subaru of America to its charitable partners. By the end of this year’s event, the automaker hopes to exceed a grand total of $140 million donated since the Subaru Share the Love Event started in 2008.

“For more than a decade, the Subaru Share the Love Event has contributed to improving the lives of those it touches and worked to fulfill our Love Promise,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America, Inc. “Working with local charitable organizations has allowed us and our retailers to support those in need across the country in meaningful ways.”

Subaru of America, Inc. marked it’s 50^th Anniversary in the United States in 2017. Subaru World of Newton is located on 84 Hampton House Rd, Newton, NJ 07860

“We are so thankful for the continued support of Subaru World of Newton,” said Julia Quinlan. “There are so many families in the communities we serve that will benefit from this generosity.”

The Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is a not-for-profit organization which provide a full continuum of high quality medical, emotional and spiritual services to individuals requiring hospice, family members and the community.

Brian Williamson (l) and his wife Suzanne are presented a check for $9,097.50 from Cecelia Clayton,Executive Director, (c) Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice

Brian’s Williamson,  a martial arts instructor with Hudson Valley HaganaH, was alerted that his lucky ticket #731 was drawn on December 31^st and he would start of 2019 with a prize of $9,097.50 from the year-long 50/50 presented by the Friends of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.

“It felt like a blessing from Dad,” stated Suzanne Williamson, Brian’s wife. Suzanne is a special education teacher in Hamburg. Suzanne’s father, Mr. James Zylstra was a patient at the award-winning Home for Hospice two years ago.

The Williamson’s, who reside in Milford, PA are both retired from the New Jersey Army National Guard shared their warm sentiment about the care extended to Susan’s father and their family during his days at the Home for Hospice.

They have no specific plans on how to spend the money, but are grateful to have won.

The Friends of Hospice presented a check for $35,000 to the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation on December 14th. The Friends of Hospice is a volunteer group that hold fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice – a not-for-profit organization. The money is used help patients and families who are experiencing financial hardships while coping with a life-limiting illness.

The signature Friends fundraisers include: Half for Hospice, a progressive 50/50 raffle, the Wine and Cheese Festival and High Tea for Hospice which will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2019.

The Friends are always looking for new members and membership is open to anyone in the community. They meet on the second Monday of each month at 4 p.m. at the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice administration building located on 99 Sparta Avenue in Newton. For more information on how you can get involved please contact Jennifer Smith, special events coordinator, at 973-383-0115 ext. 106.

Dental Day 1993 – Julia Quinlan, Co-Founder and President of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and Dr. Edward Tirpack share a moment at the first Dental Day for Hospice hosted in 1993. This year’s Dental Day for Hospice is scheduled for Monday, November 5 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sparta Dental Designs at 16 Lafayette Road in Sparta. To secure an appointment, please call Sparta Dental Designs at 973-729-2113. More information about Sparta Dental Designs can be found at www.SpartaDentalDesigns.com.

SPARTA/October 16, 2018 – The month of November is National Hospice Month. Since 1993 Dr. Edward Tirpack has been hosting Dental Day for Hospice with the Friends of Hospice. This annual event celebrates the amazing work of the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. This year, Dr. Tirpack and Dr. Gilbert Tapia along with their highly-skilled dental team will be once again host Dental Day for Hospice. They will be donating the proceeds from dental procedures provided on Monday, November 5, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m to the Friends of Hospice. Sparta Dental Designs is located at 16 Lafayette Road in Sparta. During this event donations will be accepted; raffle tickets will be available for purchase and the Friends of Hospice volunteers will be in the Sparta Dental Designs living room to answer your questions about hospice. There will also be give-aways and light refreshments served. Thank you to longtime event sponsor Preston Hay from Benco Dental Company for the continued support of Dental Day for Hospice.

Dr. and Mrs. Tirpack have been longtime champions of the hospice mission serving as board members, committee chairs and volunteers committed to raising funds and awareness for hospice care. “Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is a not-for-profit organization and they will treat any patient regardless of their ability to pay,” said Dr. Tirpack, “That’s what inspires me. I hope to make the community aware of their outstanding hospice care and what services are in place to support patients and their family members.” Celebrating their dedication to Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, Sparta Dental Designs was the first recipient of the Heart of Hospice Award in 2012.

“The commitment to Dental Day for Hospice from the doctors and the Sparta Dental Designs team is truly appreciated and has helped many patients and family members throughout Sussex and Warren Counties in New Jersey and Pike County, Pennsylvania from the revenue it has generated since its inception in 1993,” stated Lisa O’Hara, President of Friends of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. To secure an appointment for Dental Day for Hospice, please call Sparta Dental Designs at 973-729-2113. More information about Sparta Dental Designs can be found atwww.SpartaDentalDesigns.com or like them on Facebook.

On Friday, November 16, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and Sussex County Community College will present an exclusive screening of LOVE, GILDA, at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. In honor of his sister Francine Feder and family friend Cathy Hogstrom Stiller, five time Emmy award winner, Executive Producer of LOVE, GILDA, Alan Zweibel and his wife Robin, also an Executive Producer on the film, will hold a question and answer session after the screening.

In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner reflects on her life and career. Weaving together her recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with friends (Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Laraine Newman, Paul Shaffer and Martin Short), rare home movies and diaries read by modern-day comedians inspired by Gilda (Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Cecily Strong), LOVE, GILDA opens up a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story.

Gilda Radner puts a smile on the faces of people who remember watching her as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, where she created and portrayed such now-classic comic characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella and Lisa Loopner. She quickly rose to meteoric fame in television, movies and on Broadway, and was declared ‘one of America’s sweethearts.’ LOVE, GILDA, directed by Lisa D’Apolito, is a true autobiography, told in Gilda’s words and in her own voice. Working with the Radner Estate, D’Apolito unearthed a collection of diaries and personal audio and videotapes documenting her childhood, her comedy career, her relationships and ultimately, her struggle with cancer.  

Alan Zweibel

Alan Zweibel, executive producer of LOVE, GILDA, will be at the screening and will hold a question and answer session following the movie. 

An original “Saturday Night Live” writer, Zweibel has won multiple Emmy, Writers Guild of America, and TV Critics awards for his work in television, which also includes “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” (which he co-created and produced)  “The Late Show With David Letterman and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.

A frequent guest on all of the late night talk shows, Alan’s theatrical contributions include his collaboration with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award winning play “700 Sundays”, Martin Short’s Broadway hit “Fame Becomes Me”, and six off-Broadway plays including  “Bunny Bunny – Gilda Radner: A Sort of Romantic Comedy” which he adapted from his best-selling book.

All told, Alan has written eleven books including the 2006 Thurber Prize winning novel “The Other Shulman”, the popular children’s book “Our Tree Named Steve”, the novel “Lunatics” that he co-wrote with Dave Barry, and most recently a parody of the Haggadah titled “For This We Left Egypt?” which he wrote with Dave Barry and Adam Mansbach.

Alan’s humor has also appeared in such diverse publications as The New Yorker, Esquire, The Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Op-Ed page, The Huffington Post and MAD Magazine.  He has also penned a best selling e-book titled  “From My Bottom Drawer. 

The co-writer of the screenplays for the films “Dragnet”,  “North”, and “The Story of Us”, Alan has received an honorary PhD. from the State University of New York and because of the diversity of his body of work, in 2010 the Writers Guild of America, East gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Alan is currently preparing  “Bunny Bunny” for a return to the New York stage, is writing a cultural memoir titled “Laugh Lines – 40 Years Trying To Make Funny People Funnier” for Abrams Books and is adapting his novel “The Other Shulman” as a TV series for Sony.

In addition to the talk shows, Alan’s also appeared in episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Law & Order”, and can currently be seen in the documentary “The Last Laugh” about humor and the Holocaust; Judd Apatow’s “Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling,” on HBO, as well as “Gilbert” about the life of Gilbert Gottfried.   Most recently, he executive produced a documentary titled “Love, Gilda” that premiered this spring at the Tribeca Film Festival and this season is appearing in four episodes of CNN’s “History of Comedy.”

Alanzweibel.com

Hospice is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill. The focus of hospice is on comfort and quality of life rather than on cure. Hospice is most often provided where you live. Sometimes the hospice team will determine that you need short-term inpatient or respite care services.

When choosing a quality hospice it’s important to know how they compare to national averages. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice exceeds national averages in reported categories as shown in the graphics below. This information can also be found on medicare.gov/hospicecompare. The Medicare website allows you to compare hospice programs in your geographical location. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice also outperforms other hospice programs in our geographical area.

Suggested questions to ask when choosing a hospice

Click here for a printable guide to use when choosing a hospice. Consider what’s important to you and think about the questions listed in the guide. This is not a complete list, but a way to start the conversation about the care you desire. 

Click here to register! Registration fees will increase on day of walk.

On September 29, 2018, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice will host the third annual “Celebrate Life 5k Walk.” The walk, which is being held at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds in Augusta, will start at 10:00 a.m. Pre-registration starts at 9:00 a.m. and opening ceremonies at 9:45. The walk is a way to help those dealing with a loss celebrate the life and memory of loved ones who have passed.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is an emotional process that each person handles differently. The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center offers support to members of the community who are going through the grieving process. The proceeds from the walk will benefit the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Centers located on 5 Plains Road in Augusta. The Center also has satellite offices located on 214 Washington Street in Hackettstown and The United Methodist Church on 206 E Ann Street in Milford, PA.

Participating in some type of memorial celebration can be a way to help cope with the loss of a loved one. Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice hosts several memorial events throughout the year including a Butterfly Release and Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Celebrate Life 5K was started several years ago as a way to bring families together in a celebratory atmosphere. During the opening ceremonies we present musical performances, inspiring speeches and well as an invigorating warm up. We also hold a symbolic lighting ceremony with each participant receiving an illuminated star light in remembrance of the person they are walking in celebration of.

Last year a special memorial wall was introduced to the event sponsored by BIGGS Kids. Participants are encouraged to bring a photo of their loved one to be displayed on the wall. Each year the photo tribute will grow as more photos are added at each event.

Those interested in participating in the walk can register online at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org/Walk. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for participants 13 and under. Those interested are encouraged to register early as same day registration fees increase by $5 respectively. Vendor applications are also being accepted for $25. Registrations will also be accepted at the “Celebrate Life 5K” walk kick-off party, sponsored by Newton Medical Center, which will be held on Friday, September 28 in the Romano Conference Center located on the Newton Medical Center campus at 5 p.m. Everyone in the community is invited to attend the kick-off to learn more about the services offered at the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center as well as register for the walk, grab a healthy snack and get their walk t-shirt.

The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center provides grief support and counseling for hospice families and the community. No one is ever refused counseling services based on their ability to pay. The staff works to bring comfort and understanding to help families through difficult times. Individual counseling and ongoing support groups are offered. Support groups include: anticipatory grief support, school bereavement support, memorial services, grief lecture series, children’s bereavement art program and pet loss support.

Registrants are encouraged to form a team to raise funds. There will be prizes awarded to individuals and teams who raise the most money. Individuals who raise $100 or more will get a memorial marker with their loved one’s name displayed along the walk route. All money raised will stay in the community and benefit the Bereavement Center.

Food and refreshments will be provided the day of the walk and there will also be a vendor fair with a wide variety of items on display.

Please call 973-383-0115 ext. 131 for more information on how you can get involved. If you are unable to walk we always have need for volunteers to help out on the day of the event. On September 29, we will all walk together so that no one has to walk alone.

The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center will present “Expressive Arts Workshop for Adults” on Tuesdays starting September 11, 6-8 p.m. The four-week series will be held at the Bereavement Center located on 5 Plains Road in Augusta.

“I’ve always wanted to do something for adults after seeing how well it has worked for the children, in terms of being able to externalize – give voice – to their many different feelings in grief,” said Diana Sebzda, MA, LPC, FT, Director of Bereavement. “On occasion, I have the parents/guardians participate in the same art activity that the children will be doing and it’s a great way for the parents to see how art can facilitate conversations in grief, express emotions and show others, through their art, how they are feeling.”

“This will be our first attempt at an arts workshop for adults and my hope is that the program will develop over time. The debut program will include four sessions, once a week, that introduce a different expressive art modality that could be helpful in expressing their grief – Music, Art, Drama and Writing,” said Sebzda. 

We would like to invite any adult, who has suffered a loss through death, to participate in this new workshop.  We will have reserved space for ten and the cost of registration is $100 to help cover the cost of materials and supplies. Those interested can register online at KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org/ExpressiveArts or call 973-948-2283.

Smiles for Our Heroes – A Mission of Mercy Event.

Get FREE Dental Services if you attend a Veteran’s Day event in November! Warren, Sussex, Hunterdon, Morris, Essex and Somerset Counties. Free dental services, food and more!

Saturday, November 3, 2018 & Sunday, November 4, 2018

17 South Warren Street, Dover 07801. Transportation pick-up points available in all counties served. Call Fergie at 973-328-9100 ext. 357 to see if you qualify. www.zufallhealth.org

Delta Dental

Zufall Health

New Jersey Dental Association

Janice Stevens was recently appointed to the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice Memorial Foundation Board

Julia Quinlan, Co-Founder of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and Chairman of the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation Governing Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Janice Stevens to the Governing Board.

Prior to moving to New Jersey 21 years ago, Janice worked for a large law firm as a paralegal dealing with worker’s compensation cases and insurance defense.  For the last 20 years, she has worked for Sparta Township in various capacities with her main focus in Land Use.  She is currently the Zoning Coordinator and Code Enforcement Official.  She also works closely with the Township’s Economic Development Committee, Environmental Commission and Green Team.  She was instrumental in helping bring Sparta to a Bronze Level in the Sustainable Jersey program and has kept the Bronze Certification active for the past 8 years. 

Throughout her time in Sparta, she has volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian Church for over 7 years and was an Ambassador for the Newton Medical Center “Year of Women’s Health” campaign.    She also serves on the Karen Ann Quinlan Fashion Show Committee and has helped with the Tour De Farm, Wine and Cheese event and Sparta Farmers Market. 

Stevens was recently recognized at the 24^th Annual Sussex County Tribute to Women Award Luncheon by the Boy Scouts of America for her commitment to serving the community.

The Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is a not-for-profit organization which provides a full continuum of high-quality medical, emotional and spiritual services to hospice patients, their family members and the community.