Heart of GA Hospice breaks ground for Hazel Colson Hospice House

“I call her the face of Heart of Georgia Hospice,” said Mike Parker, Heart of Georgia Hospice Board Chair.

Heart of Georgia Hospice hosted a groundbreaking ceremony and the start of a Capital Campaign for a new facility, the Hazel Colson Hospice House at their home office that will be named after a long-time nurse in the middle Georgia area, Mrs. Hazel Colson.

Parker expressed to Colson that they thanked, loved and appreciated her so much for being a part of this special day.

“Thank you for being able to celebrate this special occasion and the life of Heart of Georgia Hospice,” Parker stated.

“Thirty-six years ago, our organization brought hospice to Houston County and surrounding counties,” stated Dawn Rozar, the Executive Director for Heart of Georgia Hospice. She stated that this was done because a small group of women saw a need. Hospice care has grown and there are more now than there has ever been before, which perpetuates their service to the community at large.

“This Capital Campaign requires urgent and major gifting toward building a pre-standing general in-patient unit here in Warner Robins,” said Rozar. The cost of this construction is nearly $3.5 million; however, their campaign aims to raise over $3.6 million to support the building of the new unit.

Rozar asked the community to partner with hospice in support of the new construction. “Your support will have an enormous and lasting physical, emotional and economic impact within this organization spilling out into our community,” Rozar stated.

Parker thanked Rozar and her office staff as well as her medical staff.

“Everybody knows Hazel Colson,” expressed Randy Toms, mayor of Warner Robins.

Toms was introduced by Parker and stated that he had known Colson his entire life, and even more recently through hospice care.

Tom spoke about an emotional segment of his life where his relationship with Heart of Georgia Hospice began. His wife’s mom had become ill and had been placed in Heart of Georgia Hospice in the last days of her life.

“And I never in my life could have imagined a group of people, that are in that type of profession, but also ministry, reach out and touch us in such a way,” stated Toms.

A few weeks later, after his mother-in-law had passed, Tom said that it was time to put his mom in hospice care. She was there for 21 days.

“I could never imagine losing two moms in seven weeks,” stated Toms, further mentioning that through the process, hospice ministered to him in such a special way.

Both Toms’ mom and his wife’s mom passed away in room five of Heart of Georgia Hospice.

Tom stated, “I’ve felt what you do, and I have been ministered to by you and what you do, so God bless you, because you are truly blessing people at their most important time of need.”

He ended his speech by thanking them and expressing how the Heart of Georgia is one of his favorite organizations in Houston County.

Parker and Rozar both made sure to introduce and thank the board members of hospice. Mayor John Harley of Centerville and Mayor Randall Walker of Perry were both present, as well as Mayor Michael Chidester of Byron.

Eighty percent of the patients that Heart of Georgia Hospice serves are from Houston and Peach Counties.

HHJ News