Early in his medical career, Leonard Hock, D.O., happened to overhear a colleague speaking to a patient with a life-limiting illness. “There’s nothing more we can do for you,” intoned the physician. Dr. Hock was stunned by the insensitivity behind the words, and disturbed by the hopelessness and finality that they conveyed. He vowed that he would never express to any patient or family such a sense of giving up, of leaving them alone. The moment was an epiphany for him, and it has shaped his practice and teaching throughout a long and enormously productive career as an internist, hospitalist, intensivist, geriatrician, hospice physician and television medical correspondent.

Today, the dynamic and versatile Dr. Hock is the Medical Director at Hospice by the Sea, South Florida’s award-winning, innovative provider of hospice care, palliative care, caregiver support, bereavement counseling and home health services. At HBTS, Hock found a setting that is compatible with his own deeply held belief that, even when a cure is not possible, there is always something to offer a patient: excellent care, comfort, emotional support and much more. In fact, at HBTS, the staff is driven by the quest to offer patients and families every comfort and care that they might require as they face the challenges of serious illness. There, “Nothing we can do” is turned upside down, into “What more can we do?” as the organization continually seeks to define new ways to meet the needs of those they serve.
 
“All hospices are wonderful, but Hospice by the Sea is extraordinary,” says Hock. “There is purpose and enthusiasm throughout this organization. I was so impressed with the staff when I interviewed; I describe them as ‘effervescent’ – bubbling with creative energy and passion for their work. They’re inspired by the vision of Paula Alderson, our Chief Executive Officer, a woman who thinks a million miles a minute. I wanted to bring my expertise to a hospice that gave wonderful care, and I could not be happier. I underestimated how much I could contribute, but I’m able to do so much here. I’m in the trenches every day, caring for patients. I have loved every part of my career, but I’ve never felt so relevant before.”
 
That’s quite a statement from a physician whose career has been marked by the pursuit of a remarkable range of roles. Hock served as an Army medic in Vietnam, and then attended the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine in Kansas City, where he established a private practice. A group of family physicians invited him to attend their hospitalized patients, thus making him one of the nation’s first “hospitalists.” Hock loved the work –“the hospital is part of my physician heart” – but became interested in geriatrics when he recognized that 80% of his patients were 70 or older. “My practice turned into geriatrics without my really trying to make it so,” he recalls. “I sat for the boards and wanted to be the best geriatrician I could be.”
 
Caring for frail, complex patients in nursing homes, Hock became interested in hospice care. “That experience made it clear to me that you could give holistic care in any environment. In geriatrics, we experience death and dying on a daily basis, but can still give excellent care. I became involved in hospice care to improve quality of life for my elderly patients.” That credential enables Hock to care for every level of patient: the ICU patient, the nursing home patient and the end-of-life patient. “I didn’t give up my other specialties; I’m still an intensivist and a geriatrician.”
 
At HBTS, Hock brings his considerable skills to a thriving organization that shares his propensity for constantly seeking new, improved ways to help patients. HBTS has experienced 15% growth in the past year alone, with services that are making a difference for greater numbers of patients and families. In November, as National Home Health Month, National Hospice Month and National Caregiver Month are marked, HBTS takes pride in offering programs that meet the emerging needs of the community with hand-in-glove effectiveness. “Although not one of the largest hospices in South Florida, HBTS has a big impact,” says Hock. “We view our home health and caregiver programs as services to the community. The caregiver support program reaches out to vulnerable, exhausted spouses and adult children with support, education and practical help. We have an in-house produced caregiver education DVD that received the 2010 Caregiver Friendly Award from Today’s Caregiver magazine. Our home health agency, FocusCare, supports homebound patients with cancer and respiratory illnesses. These programs aren’t part of hospice but share the same philosophy and culture. There is a seamless transition of care because here, we have one heart.”
 
That heart is strong, tireless, generous and infinitely humane. It is propelled by the leadership of HBTS, and shared by the board, staff, volunteers and families. It is a heart that respects and cares for all those within the organization. “Hospice people are the happiest people in healthcare,” says Dr. Hock. “They’re drawn to hospice care and fulfilled by it. They know they make a difference every day. At HBTS, we are not only expanding in size, we are growing our culture and our heart, and looking forward to a future in which we can continue to identify ways to offer wonderful care to everyone who needs it.”