Haven Hospice Honors Healthcare Heroes at Annual ViVA! Event

Event attendees honored Haven’s healthcare heroes at ViVA! 2021, held at Valley View in Alachua, Florida. -Photo: Haven Hospice

Alachua, Florida — More than 225 guests attended Haven Hospice’s ViVA! 2021 event held, recently, at Valley View in Alachua. The event, titled ViVA! 2021: Celebrating Haven Heroes, was superhero-themed in honor of Haven’s healthcare workers.

Many businesses and organizations—including UF Health, Jackson Lewis and the Barbara and Phil Emmer Family Foundation, Inc.—sponsored the event. Among the generous sponsors were local North Florida businesses representing the Lake City and Gainesville areas. The full list of sponsors can be found on Haven’s website. All proceeds from ViVA! benefited unreimbursed patient care, programs and services provided by Haven.

Attendees enjoyed fine cuisine by Blue Water Bay, dueling pianos by Felix and Fingers and themed attire. Haven’s dedicated healthcare workers were celebrated throughout the program, which began with a welcome from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, and included messages from Bruce Stechmiller, M.D., honorary chair Ed Peddie, Haven’s first administrator Patti Moore, Haven Corporate Advisory Board chair Tyson Johnson, and Haven Hospice Foundation chair Danny Martinez.

Haven’s President and Chief Operating Officer Pauline Taylor acknowledged Haven associates, thanking them for their dedication and perseverance through extremely challenging times. Taylor recognized each of the frontline associates present at ViVA! 2021 and they received a standing ovation from attendees.

“The superhero theme of ViVA! was demonstrated by the recognition paid to the caregivers, not just with a standing ovation but with so many of the guests at ViVA making a point to thank each caregiver face-to-face,” said Sharon Jones, Haven Hospice Foundation President and Haven Vice President of Development. “The program recognized and thanked all of the heroic caregivers and also reviewed the long standing history of Haven as a legacy hospice, the present state of Haven as a legacy hospice and projecting the future of making Haven stronger.”