Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro CEO to Retire
May 25, 2016
(GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA)—Patricia A. Soenksen announced that she will retire as president and CEO of Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro (HPCG) and the Hospice Foundation of Greater Greensboro (HFGG) effective February 17, 2017. Soenksen, who joined the organization in 2007, is retiring after a 40-year career in health care administration and consulting.
Serving as HPCG’s second CEO since its creation in 1980, Soenksen has led the community-based, nonprofit hospice through tremendous growth for nearly a decade. From 2005 – 2015, hospice patient admissions increased by 48 percent and the annual number of patients served increased by 50 percent to 1,719 last year.
“We are going to miss Pat and her strong leadership. Under her watch, Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro has continued to solidify its distinguished reputation among hospice programs locally, statewide and nationally,” said Mary Bernard Magrinat, chair of HPCG’s Board of Directors. “She has been a very effective leader. She managed our growth against a backdrop of challenging economic times, increased regulatory burden and rising competition.”
Magrinat added that during Soenksen’s tenure as CEO, HPCG remained financially strong, grew its endowment and never experienced any staff layoffs—even during the financial crisis of 2008.
“My decision to retire has evolved over the past year and has been bittersweet,” said Soenksen. “I tell people I have the best job in the Triad. Every day I witness the compassionate services provided by our team of 224 employees and more than 220 volunteers. To see hospice care transform health care has been one of the greatest blessings of my long career.”
In addition to managing tremendous growth, Soenksen led HPCG through three successful strategic planning efforts. As a result, the HFGG was established in 2014 as a separate legal entity with its own dedicated fundraising-focused board of trustees. HPCG is the sole recipient of the foundation’s support and assistance.
Under Soenksen’s leadership, HPCG developed more than 25 collaborative relationships with community partners, and became a founding partner of PACE of the Triad. In 2014, HPCG grew physically by adding the John A. Lusk, III, MD Caregiving Education Center to its evolving campus. The 15,000-square-foot Lusk Center addressed HPCG’s crucial need for educational and administrative space. Soenksen oversaw the Lusk Center’s property acquisition, design, construction and fundraising effort which resulted in $3.1 million in donations.
A search firm, Elinvar, has been retained to find the next president and CEO to lead HPCG. Please send inquiries to [email protected].
HPCG, a nonprofit organization serving Guilford County and surrounding areas since 1980, is situated on a 14.75 acre campus at 2500 Summit Avenue. HPCG provides physical, emotional and spiritual support for children and adults faced with a life-limiting illness, as well as their caregivers and families. For more information, call 336.621.2500 or visit www.hospicegso.org.
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