Peter Van Der Zanden

Peter exemplifies hospice philosophy through deep presence, compassion, and unwavering dedication to patients, family, and staff. With more than 3 years of service and 400+ volunteer hours, he has become an invaluable asset, offering skilled support through vigils, respite, and patient advocacy. He has a remarkable ability to adapt his presence to each situation, responding thoughtfully to patients' emotional and physical needs while honoring the individuality of every patient and family he serves. Peter goes beyond assigned duties to build meaningful, personalized connections. He takes time to understand what brings comfort and joy to each patient and ensures those elements are present during his visits. For example, after learning a patient loved apple turnovers, he made sure the patient had one during their visits so they could talk and connect together. These are not isolated gestures, but a consistent reflection of his selfless approach to care. He rearranges his schedule to sit vigil and provides relief when caregivers are exhausted. By encouraging bedside storytelling and creating thoughtful legacy projects, including his most recent project being an audiobook created with a patient for their family-he provides comfort, preserves dignity and meaningfully strengthens our hospice program.