When Judith Williamson joined VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Broward County in 1990 as a caseworker, she was simply searching for a job. What she found instead was a career and a calling. And along the way, she learned a lot about herself, too.Today as supervisor of the caseworker department of one of VITAS’ largest hospice programs, which cares for more than 1,300 patients every day, Williamson now manages the department she joined 22 years ago. For Williamson, who has a master’s degree in social work (MSW), her career with VITAS has been rewarding to her on a professional level as VITAS has helped her to grow within the organization and on an educational level. More importantly, Williamson says, her career at VITAS has helped her to grow as a person.
“At first, I didn’t know anything about hospice and I was just looking for a job, but I quickly realized how rewarding my career in hospice could be on so many levels. It enabled me to help patients and families get the help they need during one of the most important moments of life: the end of life.”
As a VITAS caseworker, Williamson is a patient advocate, determining financial eligibility for patients seeking Medicaid and Medicare coverage for hospice, nursing home and other benefits. “One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is the peace of mind I am able to give patients by helping them not have to worry about insurance coverage.”
Williamson came to VITAS with a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Manchester University in her native England. But as her work with VITAS patients progressed, and despite the fact that she was also raising three small children, she felt the need to expand her education in her new-found field. She earned a master’s degree in social work from Florida International University in 2005.
“Through the master’s degree, I learned more about the psychological aspects of dealing with death. It helped to combine many important skills and brought significant purpose to what I do,” said Williamson. And in that regard, as with all else in her career, VITAS was supportive.
“VITAS gave me tuition reimbursement for my education,” she said. “VITAS is a great organization. I’ve always enjoyed opportunities for growth and development.
“Twenty-plus years ago, VITAS was the first hospice to offer end-of-life care to AIDS patients, when AIDS was still taboo,” Williamson added. “I was a caseworker for some of those teams. It was difficult for families to relate to their loved ones, they didn’t understand. To be able to go in and offer a word of comfort through my work, it’s that kind of connection that makes this job so rewarding.”
