Our History and Mission

Hospice of Chattanooga was started in 1980 by a group of wonderful volunteers who caught the vision of what a plan of care called “hospice” could mean to a patient who was facing death due to a disease. There were local nurses in the hospitals who knew there was a better way to take care of patients in the dying process than what was offered at the time. Nurses within the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Home Health Department began training under the model of Riverside Hospice in New Jersey. Lena Adams and Agene Parsons were the first two hospice nurses in the new program in Chattanooga.

Over the decades, the reach of Hospice of Chattanooga has grown as the area's population grew into the outlying regions of southeast Tennessee. Families were hearing about how wonderful hospice care was for loved ones of friends, and when the time came for someone in their family, Hospice of Chattanooga was their choice. It remains the same today, as Hospice of Chattanooga now serves people in 10 counties across Southeast Tennessee.

One of the nurses in 1980 who played a significant role in founding Hospice of Chattanooga is Christine Little, who was a volunteer and stalwart supporter of what began in a little corner room at the local health department. Watch her story here.