“Modern hospice really started in the 1970s…[Before that] there were none because there was no funding for it,” explains Dale Hicks, founder of Alamo Hospice. He goes on to explain that even the hospice programs in place were “usually just for the last couple of days.” In 1983, when they passed the Medicare hospice bill, funding became available for more comprehensive hospice organizations. Today, there are probably 4000 such hospice organizations in the U.S., and that number continues to rise.

Mr. Dale Hicks didn’t start out in the business of hospice. Instead, he was a practicing lawyer for 28 years, specializing in healthcare and malpractice litigation for both sides. A graduate of St. Mary’s Law School, his experience with healthcare litigation gives him impeccable insight into the common pitfalls of healthcare.

Mr. Hicks was introduced to hospice by a member of his legal practice staff. “I had a paralegal who worked with me for almost 20 years, and her brother owned a hospice out in West Texas,” explains Hicks. Inspired by the new avenue of care, Hicks and a few others began the arduous process of applying for a license.

“We started to really operate in 2007, and at the time I was doing both hospice and working as an attorney,” says Hicks. Between his feverish self-education and the duties of his new hospice organization, Hicks decided to set his practice aside in order to focus on Alamo Hospice.

Of his legal practice, Hicks says that he “started thinking about a bunch of things… like if I was doing anything worthwhile.” In sharp contrast, his devotion and passion for palliative care is without question.

“Most people have never thought about death or dying, and then all of a sudden they get the words none of us want to hear…but it’s not really about death; it’s about living,” says Hicks.

Hicks goes on to describe how hospice care isn’t just for the patients themselves. Their families also require special attention during the tumultuous time. He explains, “With the availability of medication we have, death is a painless, peaceful process… The hard part for a lot of people and their caregivers is not the physical part; it’s the emotional part…the psychological and spiritual part.” Hicks explains that hospice goes beyond merely making a patient comfortable. It extends to such services as psychological counseling, social work and counseling, all in order to bring both comfort and acceptance to the patient and their loved ones.

Alamo Hospice goes above and beyond mere comfort, offering the services of doctors, nurses, social workers, home health aides, spiritual counselors, dieticians and massage therapists. Dale Hicks himself provides what comfort he can, playing music for his patients. “I played the guitar my whole life, so sometimes I go and just sit down and play the guitar for people,” says Hicks.

Some might think that hospice is as simple as offering pain medication to clients on an out-patient basis. Instead, Hicks explains, “We walk a thin line in hospice…our goal is for them to be physically comfortable, pain-free, and at the same time to be alert so they can enjoy the time and do the things that they want to do.” Alamo Hospice customizes their care to suit the patient’s perspective on this delicate balance. “Some would rather deal with that pain so they can interact with their family,” says Hicks.

A native of the Midwest, Hicks grew up in a rural Illinois community, 120 miles southeast of St. Louis. Hicks moved to San Antonio after falling in love with the culture. “When I came here, I was immediately mesmerized by the cultural diversity,” says Hicks. Outside of work, Hicks is the proud father of two sons, of whom one works with him at Alamo Hospice. Dale Hicks is also the proud owner of a ’57 Chevy, which he has maintained since he first purchased it at age 16. This classic car is lucky to have an owner with such reverence for age.

“A lot of people think of death and the process of dying as kind of a morbid thing…but for the people who do hospice and really enjoy it, it’s just another step in life,” says Hicks. While many, particularly younger people, think that hospice is something depressing, Dale Hicks and his staff at Alamo Hospice view palliative care as an opportunity to make the last of someone’s days as enjoyable as possible.

“The first thing I learned when I got into this is that the people who do hospice because they love it are some of the most compassionate people I have ever met,” says Hicks. He goes on to describe how the members of his staff “just feel like they are on a journey together.” Indeed, the compassionate and noble efforts of Alamo Hospice are greatly appreciated.