Hanan Budeiri, MD, to Retire

On August 25, Hanan Budeiri, MD, our chief medical director, will retire.

A special donor fund has been renamed in Dr. Budeiri’s honor: the Hanan Budeiri Legacy General Fund. To make a donation, click the button above.

Hanan Budeiri, MD, is retiring as chief medical director after 23 years. The public is invited to her retirement party on August 25, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

An open-house retirement party will be held Friday, August 25, between 12 PM and 2 PM at Hospice Care Plus & Compassionate Care Center on 350 Isaacs Lane in Richmond. All are invited to drop by during this time to celebrate Dr. Budeiri’s retirement. Refreshments will be provided.

“Even as we are profoundly happy for Dr. Budeiri and this new phase of life she is about to enter, we also acknowledge that the unique way she cared for patients and families, and the leadership she gave to our staff, will be deeply missed,” says Lisa Cox, CEO. “The 23 years she devoted to our organization made us better, and we will honor that legacy by continuing our commitment to patient-centered, mission-based, compassionate, expert care.”

Dr. Budeiri came to Richmond in 1998 and opened a private practice. In 2000, after being introduced to hospice care through one of her patients, she joined the Hospice Care Plus staff as one of several medical directors. At the time, the position was an unpaid, volunteer role.

By 2005, Dr. Budeiri found herself devoting more time to her work with Hospice. In addition to serving as a medical director, she visited patients being cared for at home by our hospice and palliative care programs. In 2007, she became certified through the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. In 2008, when the American Board of Medical Specialties recognized hospice and palliative medicine as a specialty, Dr. Budeiri again sought and achieved certification. She has maintained certification throughout her tenure with Hospice.

When Hospice Care Plus opened the Compassionate Care Center in 2008, Dr. Budeiri joined the organization full time as chief medical director. She has continued to fill that role for the past 15 years, providing leadership for our clinical programs: home palliative care, home hospice care, and the Compassionate Care Center.

It was her first experience with Hospice in 2000 that ultimately inspired her to give 23 years to our organization.

“I did not know that this kind of care could be provided as a team-based approach, and it was rewarding to be there with my patient alongside the hospice team,” she says. “I got to witness how their compassionate presence affected both the patient and the family, and how they relieved the patient’s suffering. I wanted to know how to do this. I wanted to learn how to provide comfort, how to manage symptoms at the end of life.”

Dr. Budeiri also found that the hospice model allowed her to give time and attention to patients and families.

“I always had an affinity toward being present with my patients, and I always wanted to know them. What hospice allows is more in-depth. You become part of a time that is so intimate. They share memories, their life stories. I have a treasure chest of stories, and I remember them. Hospice and the patients and families have become part of who I am, how I look at life.”

In addition to her work with Hospice Care Plus, Dr. Budeiri has served as the medical director of Baptist Health Richmond’s palliative care program, as a wound care specialist, as medical director for both Kenwood Health and Rehabilitation and Madison Health and Rehabilitation Center, and as a physician with the VA Medical Center in Lexington.

Dr. Budeiri has earned many awards over the years, including the 2022 Care Partner Award from the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, the 2011 Above and Beyond Award from the Kentucky Association of Hospice and Palliative Care, a Hospice Hero Award in 2017, and several awards from Hospice Care Plus.

As she prepares for retirement, Dr. Budeiri says she looks forward to visiting family and traveling. Yet, she acknowledges that she will miss the special nature of working as part of a hospice team.

“That feeling of belonging, of being part of a community, is very meaningful. Whatever I did, I was never alone. We did it together.”

A permanent fund has been renamed to honor Dr. Budeiri’s legacy. The Hanan Budeiri Legacy General Fund is a general donation fund that allows us to place donations where they are most needed to fulfill our mission.

“We could not think of a better way to honor her,” says Lisa. “Her legacy is to keep our focus always on the heart of our mission: meeting the needs of our patients and families. This fund allows us to do that.”

Hospice Care Plus is a non-profit organization supporting the quality of life of its communities through hospice, palliative, and bereavement care programs. The organization serves Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle counties and owns and operates the Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. Relying on contributions from individuals and groups, all care is provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. To learn more, donate, or explore career and volunteer opportunities, visit hospicecareplus.org or call 859-986-1500.