About Us

Cedar Valley Hospice began in 1979 when a group of forward thinking individuals had a vision and recognized the importance of quality care for those near the end of their lives. The formation of Cedar Valley Hospice occurred four years after the first hospice in the United States was established, and we have worked since then to honor their foresight.

Major milestones for Cedar Valley Hospice were achieved in the 1980s. The first patient was admitted in 1980, and our organization was also granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.

In 1982, another milestone was reached: the opening of the first inpatient hospice unit in Iowa. Inpatient care was recognized early on by Cedar Valley Hospice leadership as a necessity for a comprehensive care program, and a six-bed unit was opened in Waterloo at what was then the Schoitz Hospital.

The growth of Cedar Valley Hospice also brought along changes. In March of 1988 at the height of the AIDS epidemic, we created the Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS) to provide medical case management and support to those diagnosed with HIV or AIDS and their families. By the end of 1992, Hospice of Buchanan County and Grundy County Hospice had been successfully merged with Cedar Valley Hospice, and the same was done with Butler-Bremer Hospice in November of 1998.

Work on the Hospice Home, formerly the office of Dr. Donald Bickley, began in 1999, with the official opening on February 1, 2000. This was a very important milestone, as it provided an alternative for hospitalization for those needing hospice care in a setting that provided the same comforts of home.

Growth in programs and services was also prevalent, as Cedar Valley Hospice added grief services, a youth grief program – the Eucalyptus Tree program, LINK Palliative Care and complimentary therapies such as music and massage therapy for a comprehensive set of services.

In 2019, Cedar Valley Hospice was told they would need to find a new office location because their current office located in the Kimball Ridge Building had been sold. After much research, and a generous donation of land by Cardinal Construction, it was determined that Cedar Valley Hospice would plant its roots in Waterloo at 900 Tower Park Drive. Generous donations by the community, staff and board allowed for the new Cedar Valley Hospice Support Center to be built. The facility completed in 2021, not only houses nearly 90 clinical and office staff, it also provides space for staff training, a variety of grief support groups held monthly, one-on-one grief counseling for adults and youth and privacy for persons living with HIV to receive supportive case management.

From a grassroots effort, Cedar Valley Hospice has grown and developed into a professional health care agency committed to providing comprehensive end-of-life care and support services. We continue to meet the unique needs of individuals with advanced-stage illnesses, their families, those who are grieving and those living with HIV. With a staff of over 130 professionals and 250 volunteers, Cedar Valley Hospice has been and will always be committed to providing expert care and support to the communities we serve.