Hospice of the Sacred Heart

12/12/2025

Meet Holly Colozza, RN, our new CNA Supervisor as of September, 2025. Holly was an RN Case Manager prior to her recent appointment. She joined the Hospice of the Sacred Heart team in June of 2023.

Holly finds that gaining patients' trust and being accepted by them to be a part of their final journey as the most rewarding part of her job. "So many of our patients greet us with beautiful smiles and are so excited and relieved to see us for our visits. Positive feedback from patients and families is always rewarding and verifies that they feel comforted and cared for," said Holly.

Hospice work is for those with BIG hearts. She sees it every day among her colleagues. "It is comforting, caring, respectful and provides relief for patients and their caregivers. I feel blessed working for Hospice of the Sacred Heart and having the opportunity to meet so many kind people, while guiding them through this difficult time in their lives. This work is truly humbling. I see so much dedication, compassion and commitment by all staff for their patients' well-being," Holly enthusiastically said.

In her spare time, Holly enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing board games, going to plays, baseball and football games, concerts, shopping, taking walks and swimming. She points to the days her two beautiful daughters were born as absolutely the most memorable and joyous days of her life!

12/12/2025

Hospice of the Sacred Heart staff and volunteers sang Christmas carols yesterday at the Gino Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton. The festive music put all of the residents and staff in the holiday spirit.

12/05/2025

Meet Laurie Blasi, Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner at Hospice of the Sacred Heart. Laurie is a CMC graduate who spent 26 years working in critical care and trauma critical care. She also furthered her education and received her Master's Degree focusing on Geriatrics... all before joining Hospice of the Sacred Heart in 2022.

Laurie really appreciates the commitment of our clinical team. "They don't stop at the end of their day due to their commitment to our patients, their families and each other," she said. Laurie describes work at Hospice of the Sacred Heart as compassionate, difficult, rewarding and enlightening.

In her limited free time, Laurie enjoys being outside. She loves to spend time in her garden, fishing, camping, sitting quietly bird watching, kayaking, biking, walking and on a good day, possibly running.

"I'm grateful for everything in my world... my family, friends and career. My most memorable day was saying "I do" to my best friend Chris. We've been married 41 years," Laurie enthusiastically said. She is also blessed by her two loving children, Nichole and Mike.

12/02/2025

A group of Hospice of the Sacred Heart employees and volunteers braved the cold last night to collect donations and serve hot chocolate to many visiting the holiday light display at Nay Aug Park in Scranton.

12/01/2025

11/28/2025

Meet Jennifer Freund Toomey, a Social Worker at Hospice of the Sacred Heart. She celebrated her 18th anniversary with our agency in June.

Jennifer has experienced a lot over those 18 years, but says her most rewarding part of her job is meeting so many patients and families from diverse backgrounds, advocating on their behalf, providing kindness, empathy and empowerment during the most difficult of times.

Asked about her work at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Jennifer said, "The care provided by Hospice of the Sacred Heart is beyond words. I experienced the care first hand when my beloved dad was a patient. The leadership team, nurses, social workers and bereavement team are truly exceptional and the care received was truly a gift from God. Hospice not only treats the patients and families with excellent care, but also treats their employees like family. Through the best of times, worst times and everything in between, Hospice of the Sacred Heart has supported me personally and professionally."

Outside of work, Jennifer loves being at home with her husband and pup, binge watching shows and just relaxing. She also enjoys shopping, casino trips with her mom and spending time with her siblings, niece and nephews.

Jennifer looks back at many of life's memorable days including every Christmas morning as a child, peaceful days with her mom, dad and siblings at the beach, the birth of her niece and nephews and, of course, meeting and marrying her best friend, Chris.

11/27/2025

On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27th, Hospice of the Sacred Heart delivered meals to patients and their families. This is the 20th year the hospice provided this service project. Over 700 meals complete with roasted turkey, all traditional Thanksgiving sides and pumpkin pie were prepared by Mansour’s Market Café in Scranton, packaged, and delivered by hospice staff members and volunteers.

11/24/2025

Meet Sofia Mastellone, a University of Scranton senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Business Leadership and Philosophy. Sofia is from Wayne, New Jersey and is doing a fellowship at the Hospice of the Sacred Heart Inpatient Unit this semester.

Sofia developed an activity cart, which she takes from room to room to allow our patients and their families to work on coloring and art projects, reading, games and puzzles. There are also some cuddly stuffed animals to provide comfort and emotional support for all ages.

Raised by her grandmother while her mother worked, Sofia always knew she would gravitate toward geriatrics. She enjoys meeting new people and fostering existing relationships and is focused on the unique health needs of older adults. She has applied to a few select graduate schools in the northeast where she plans to continue her education.

In her limited spare time, Sofia enjoys baking and reading.

11/24/2025

Beth Rossi, Community Relations Specialist at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, recently participated in a resource fair at the Wright Center in Scranton.

11/21/2025

Meet Cathy Gillette, a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner at Hospice of the Sacred Heart. Cathy is an 18 year veteran at hospice. Prior to her arrival in 2007, she worked as an RN in an Intensive Care Unit for 22 years and as an NP Primary Care for almost 10 years.

"The most rewarding part of my work is meeting God at every bedside. I love caring and listening to the patients and families to honor their choices, ordering the medications and treatments to ensure their optimum comfort and collaborating with the BEST staff I have ever worked with," Cathy said. She went on to say that every day she witnesses their compassion, excellent critical thinking skills and dedication to our mission.

Cathy's mid-life crisis involved horse riding lessons. She has a wonderful trainer and although is has been a lot of focused work, it is a joy in her life. She and her horse, Jake, compete locally and recently traveled to the World Equestrian Center in Florida to compete. It was the "horse trip" of a lifetime.

"The BEST day of my life was the day I met Ray Gillette. We were just teens but I knew he was the one. Together we have created a life we love. We have three loving, accomplished daughters (an attorney, a teacher and a veterinarian), three wonderful sons-in-law, and four of the cutest, smartest grandkids on this planet," she said emphatically.

11/17/2025

As we continue to celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week, we thank our Hospice of the Sacred Heart team of Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners for the exceptional care, compassion, and expertise you bring every day. Your dedication makes a profound difference in the lives of our patients and in the strength of our team. We are truly grateful for all you do.

11/16/2025

Hospice of the Sacred Heart annual In-service Days were held Thursday and Friday, November 13 and 14 at the main office in Moosic. This training is profession-specific and allows our employees to improve their skills and to learn about new developments in the field of hospice care.