Our History
Hospice of the Valley was founded in 1977 as a not-for-profit organization by a group of citizens that shared a vision about a new way of caring for the dying. Rev. Q. Gerald Roseberry established the agency as the first hospice in Phoenix, Arizona with volunteers working in rent-free space at the Maricopa County health department.
In the early days, a few volunteer nurses, social workers and community volunteers drove from one end of the Valley to the other to offer medical, social and emotional support to people at their end of life. The pioneers' work was funded by donations and grants. (Click here to read more details about Hospice of the Valley's early history from Rev. Roseberry's personal account.)
As Maricopa County grew, so did Hospice of the Valley. And as hospice became more accepted nationwide, it was added as a Medicare benefit in 1982, establishing its place in the health care system with a secure financial foundation. Now Hospice of the Valley employs more than 1,700 doctors, nurses, social workers, nurse's aides, pastoral counselors and administrative workers. Our ever-growing citizen volunteer corps exceeds 2,200.
