Labyak, 63, died at her Clearwater home after battling cancer for over a year.
The organization released the following statement following Labyak?s death:
The Board of Directors of Suncoast Hospice, the organization?s leadership, staff and volunteers are deeply saddened to share that Mary J. Labyak, president and CEO of Suncoast Hospice, died today (Feb. 4).
Mary died peacefully in the loving care of a Suncoast Hospice patient and family care team, her devoted family and dear friends.
Mary was a guiding force in end-of-life care and will be greatly missed.
A spokesperson said funeral arrangements are underway and will be announced soon
Labyak was the president of the corporation which owns Woodside Hospice where the late Terri Schindler Schiavo, disabled with a brain injury, resided for the last five years of her life although hospice eligibility rules require that a patient must be terminal with a life expectancy of six months or less to be admitted.
Terri Schindler Schiavo was handicapped. She was not terminal.? She died on March 31, 2005, after her husband won court approval to remove her feeding tube, resulting in her death by dehydration over 13 days.
In 1980, Labyak became program director of Hospice of the Florida Suncoast and had been president and executive director of the corporation since 1983. According to corporate filings with the state, the hospice program employs approximately 1,000 people, has more than 3,000 volunteers and an average daily census of more than 1,800 patients. It touts itself as having become a natural resource center for end-of-life issues.
She had been associated with the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast since 1977 when she began as a volunteer on behalf of dying people
In recognizing Mary with the National Hospice Foundation?s Healthcare Architect Award in 2011, president and CEO J. Donald Schumacher said, ?It?s difficult for me to think about advancement and innovation in this field without thinking of Mary. When we all began working to improve care for the dying in this country, decades ago, we were facing challenges that seemed insurmountable. During those daunting yet hopeful days, there was a woman whose courage, passion and dedication inspired many of us ? and that was Mary Labyak.?
Mary?s professional background was in social work where her skills as a patient advocate helped inform her future life?s work.? In 1977, a time when hospice was still considered an innovative, grassroots movement, Mary began her work with a small hospice organization inFloridaas a volunteer.
By 1980 she was the leader of the program that grew into Suncoast Hospice, one of the most recognized and respected end-of-life care organizations in the country.? Under her leadership, Suncoast Hospice became an agent of change for the advancement of end-of-life care in the nation.? And throughout her career, Mary emphasized the need to keep the patient and family as the most important aspect of this work.?
Under Mary?s leadership, Suncoast Hospice has led innovation in the field of end-of-life care.? From caring for people with HIV/AIDS in the early stages of the pandemic, to developing a highly specialized pediatric palliative care program, to reaching out to communities underutilizing hospice care, Mary was committed to compassionately caring for all individuals who might benefit from the care hospice provides.
From partnering with the department of public health to create a mobile health clinic, to developing a robust and award-winning teen volunteer program, Suncoast Hospice has often charted new courses in previously uncharted seas.?
?Of the many skilled and accomplished leaders in our field, Mary rises to the top for her longstanding commitment to end-of-life care. The numerous innovations she has implemented in her own program make Suncoast Hospice one of the most admired hospices in the country,? added Schumacher.
Labyak?s leadership extends to the national level. At the time of her death, she was the chair of the NHF board of trustees and co-chair of the Capital Campaign for theNationalCenterfor Care at the End of Life.? In the past, she chaired NHPCO?s board of directors and has served on many NHPCO committees and task forces.
?Her work demonstrates that you can be creative and innovative, taking programs in new directions and be successful,? reflected Schumacher.
She was a recipient of the NHF Healthcare Architect Award, the Heart of Hospice Award presented by NHPCO?s National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals, and the NHPCO President?s Award given to Mary and the entire Suncoast staff for their dedication and commitment throughout the Schiavo media focus. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/081906DeathMarket.html ????2-5-12
? 2012 The North Country Gazette.?Please support The North Country Gazette with a subscription.? One month, $4.95; six months, $24.95; one year, $39.95.? Only one free read allowed per visitor.? Thereafter a subscription is required for continued or return access.
Source: http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/02/05/labyak_dies/
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