CHENANGO COUNTY – Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County is pleased to announce the recent hiring of a new Medical Director, local internal medicine practitioner Dr. Karen Banks-Lindner. Banks-Linder experienced hospice first hand when her grandmother and aunt died under hospice care in 1987. Dr. Banks-Lindner recalls that is was a great experience.
Dr. Banks-Lindner always knew she would be a doctor. She didn’t always know she would work for hospice, but she is not surprised she ended up here. “Hospice is a great service that keeps people in their home for as long as possible, and it focuses on quality of life over quantity.” Dr. Banks-Lindner emphasizes that one of hospice’s greatest strengths is pain management, she believes that “patients know their own body best and hospice knows how to work with patients to bring their pain to a more manageable level.” She sees hospice professionals as possessing true expertise in this area of care.
Dr. Banks-Linder has lived in Chenango County for 15 years, is raising her family here and is actively involved in the community including girl scouts, cub scouts and her church. She feels that the past 15 years have given her a lot of insight into the issues affecting Chenango County Residents. Dr. Banks-Linder also understands that hospice care in Chenango County is currently “very underutilized” and hopes to work with the staff at hospice to increase community understanding about how hospice can benefit patients in Chenango County who are nearing the end of life.
“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Banks on board,” said Hospice Executive Director, Pat Outhouse. “Having a local physician who truly understands the benefits of hospice services for both patients and their families is a great thing. Hospice enthusiastically welcomes her to our team.”