In February, the Charles Ford Retirement Communities board of directors embarked on its next
exciting chapter with the decision to expand services to offer hospice care to patients in
southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Since 1956, Charles Ford has operated as an
independent, not-for-profit, assisted living community on Main Street in New Harmony.

Charles Ford Executive Director, Amy Koch, says outstanding progress has been made in the
first six months toward bringing Hospice in Harmony, the organization’s new service line closer to
fruition. As executive director, Koch holds a dual role leading the retirement community and the
hospice care service.

“Our expectation is that Charles Ford will be able to provide a far more personalized, intimate and
compassionate hospice care than is currently being offered in this area,” Koch said. “Nationally,
hospice care delivery has become nearly robotic as large corporations and insurance companies
have acquired local and regional organizations to gain synergies toward the bottom line.

“At Charles Ford, we operate differently,” Koch explained. “Of course, we have to maintain
financial feasibility, but our focus is not simply the bottom line. We are a small, not-for-profit
organization, created by an individual’s trust for the future. For more than 65 years, we’ve
honored that trust by operating as an assisted living community; and now, we’re prepared to
extend this delivery of compassionate care to hospice patients in this region.”

Koch explained that initial progress has been made toward the major task of obtaining the
required licensing and contractual agreements in each state, and the following individuals have
been hired to key leadership positions for Hospice in Harmony: Brandi Perry, Administrator;
Audra Sollars, Registered Nurse/Case Manager; Hannah Elber, Social Worker; Brad Garner,
Chaplain; and Karen Edwards, Community Relations and Admissions Coordinator.

Brandi Perry, Administrator, has more than 20 years experience in directing the delivering of
hospice care for patients in the Tri State. She began her career as a hospice care case manager
in 2001 and is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse. With in-depth hospice management
experience, Perry is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurse Association and holds a
nursing degree from Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois.

Audra Sollars, a Registered Nurse at Charles Ford Retirement Community, has been promoted
to Hospice Nurse Case Manager. Sollars brings more than 30 years of experience in nursing
care to her new role and is thoroughly immersed in the Charles Ford culture following several
years of providing hands-on care to residents at the assisted living community. Sollars received
her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Indiana State University in Terre Haute and has years of
experience in hospital-based critical care nursing positions.

Hannah Elber has been hired as the Social Worker. Having served in leadership positions at
multiple facilities, Elber brings her broad-based case work experience to the hospice care role.
Elber earned both bachelor and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Southern
Indiana.

Brad Garner, a licensed ordained minister, has been hired to serve as the Chaplain. As a
Christian church senior pastor, Garner served as a chaplain at a residential hospice in Mt.
Carmel, Illinois. Garner received his educational certification from the International College of
Bible Theology and his associate degree in general studies with a focus on psychology and
religion at Wabash Valley College. He is credentialed by the Ministerial Credentialing Services of
the Free Methodist Church of North America in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has completed various
courses in emergency management and is the emergency services coordinator for Wabash
County in Illinois.

Karen Edwards, an experienced director of marketing and admissions in long term care facilities, has been hired as Community Relations and Marketing Coordinator. Edwards holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Southern Indiana. The founding president of an online supplement company, she is the author of two personal help books. Edwards has experience guiding marketing and admissions efforts at nursing and rehabilitation facilities and understands the delivery process for hospice services.

In closing, Koch said, “This newly hired and highly qualified team promises to extend our
reputation for providing exemplary service to patients and their families throughout an added
hospice care service area. During this season of development, the hospice team is being cross
trained in the assisted living service line in order to genuinely instill our culture.”