Hospice of Acadiana
Abe Cartagena is an experienced professional in the healthcare sector, currently serving as a Patient Care Navigator at Hospice of Acadiana since July 2020. Prior to this role, Abe held the position of Executive Director and Hospice Care Consultant at Compassus from July 2015 to June 2020. Previous experience includes working as a Business Development Specialist at Health Care Options, Inc. in 2015, a Business Development Executive at Schumacher Group from March 2014 to March 2015, and holding multiple roles at Verizon Wireless, including Healthcare Account Executive and Sales Manager, from October 2006 to October 2013. Abe holds a Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, obtained from 2001 to 2007.
Hospice of Acadiana
Following the death of his grandmother while he was a Seminarian studying in Belgium, Lafayette-native Father Louis Richard spent a summer working at St. Christopher’s House near London with British physician Dr. Cicely Saunders. Dr. Saunders is considered the founder of the modern day Hospice movement, and it was there that Father Louie developed a deep commitment to care for the dying. Returning home to Lafayette following his ordination, Father Louie met with other community leaders and, in 1983, helped establish Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. – a non-profit hospice committed to providing quality care at the end of life for all, regardless of their ability to pay for these services. Hospice of Acadiana, Inc. remains the ONLY non-profit hospice in our area. We have the longest record of continuous service of any hospice in Louisiana, and since our inception, we have served over 20,000 patients and their families. Our mission is focused on: - Enabling the terminally ill to live as fully and comfortably as possible - Emphasizing quality of life - Helping people deal with grief - Offering education and resources - Advocating appropriate care at appropriate time - Reaching diverse populations while honoring customs and values