OVER 46 years
History
For over forty-six years, the Coastal Hospice staff have been frontline workers, serving patients and families when they are at their most vulnerable. In fact, when Coastal Hospice was formed in 1980, “modern hospice” had only been in the United States since 1974. The movement had begun just a decade earlier in England. Coastal Hospice came to be because a small, dedicated group of Salisbury-area residents joined together to see if a hospice could be formed locally. They visited other hospices and palliative care facilities and voted to file a Certificate of Need with the State of Maryland. The hospice concept was so new that we began as a Home Health Agency until a hospice benefit was enacted. The committee, which became our first board, took inspiration for our mission and logo from writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton: “We’re all in the same boat in stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”
The Coastal Hospice Timeline
1978
Local Group Explores Potential for Hospice
1979
Certificate of Need filed with State of Maryland
1980
Incorporated as a 501(c)3
Marion Keenan named Executive Director
1981
Name changed to Coastal Hospice, Inc.
1982
Moved to Salisbury Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Friends of Coastal Hospice formed for Fundraising
1983
Moved to South Division Street
Congress amends Social Security Act to include Hospice Care
1986
Joint Commission Accredited
1992
Home for Hospice Campaign Createe our past Headquarters on Old Ocean City Rd. in Salisbury, MD
1996
Dorchester Hospice Foundation merges into Coastal Hospice
2004
Coastal Hospice at the Lake Opens
2006
Partnership with TidalHealth for Palliative Care
2008
Marion Keenan retires; Alane Capen appointed President
2011
Coastal Hospice Thrift Shop Opens
Visit Thrift Shop »
Coastal Kids Supportive Care Launches
Learn More »
Dorchester Office Opens
2019
Macky & Pam Stansell House Opens
Visit Stansell House »
2020
Coastal Hospice turns 40!
2021
Monica Escalante Appointed President & CEO
with Alane Capen Retires
Caregiver Academy Launched
Caregiver Academy »
June 2025
Ann Lovely appointed President & CEO
Served as Interim President & CEO from June 2024 – June 2025
July 2025
Coastal Hospice turned 45!
August 2026
2026 Hospice CAHPS Honors Award recipient
Coastal Hospice is named a 2026 Hospice CAHPS Honors Award recipient by MatrixCare, recognizing the organization’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care and creating positive experiences for patients, families, and caregivers. The Hospice CAHPS Honors program recognizes high-performing hospice agencies that consistently demonstrate excellence in the quality of care they provide, as measured through patient and caregiver feedback collected through the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey.
About Us
Learn more about our organization, staff and our 45 years of serving the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
Learn More
Learn more about our organization, staff and our 45 years of serving the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
FAQs
You have questions? We have answers! Start here to learn more.
Our FAQs
You have questions? We have answers! Start here to learn more.
Volunteer
Our volunteers are critical to providing excellent care. Interested in making a difference? Find out more today.
Learn More
Our volunteers are critical to providing excellent care. Interested in making a difference? Find out more today.
Contact Us
Have a question for Coastal Hospice? We are here to help. Visit our contact page to reach out to us and get your questions answered by our staff.
Contact Us
Have a question for Coastal Hospice? We are here to help. Visit our contact page to reach out to us and get your questions answered by our staff.