Comfort Care Hospice has added a new sales consultant to its long list of employees – Emmie Jernigan.
Jernigan said she believes the position is a good fit. For many years, she has managed the Yancey Jernigan Foundation, which was set up in memory of her husband, who died of cancer about four years ago. The foundation helps cancer patients with financial assistance for medicine and other medical needs.
With her father and her husband victims of cancer, Jernigan said she is in the unique position of being able to understand both the family’s experience as well as the medical information.
“I never thought about working with hospice, but I feel as if this is the place I am supposed to be,” said Jernigan. “My father also died of cancer. Working with the doctors and nurses to make the last days better for terminal patients is something that I have already experienced.
“The role of hospice during the last days, weeks or months of a person’s life can make a difference,” she said. “Patients are able to stay at home surrounded by their family during that time instead of being in a hospital.”
Jernigan said that most patients prefer to stay at home, but hospice can give them the connection to doctors and nurses at the same time.
“It can make a person’s experience easier and allows them to be in the comfort of their own home,” Jernigan said. “We used Comfort Care, and it was invaluable. That is probably one reason I’m here. I am looking forward to working with the staff. I want to inform the public about hospice. I think there are many people who do not understand just how helpful this service can be.”
Jernigan, who earned her master’s degree at AUM, met and married the late Yancey Jernigan IV.
The couple moved back to Yancey’s hometown of Brewton where he took a position at Georgia-Pacific. They had three sons, Yancey Jernigan V, Lyon Jernigan, 14, and Blake Jernigan, 12. The younger two will attend T.R. Miller High School in the fall while Yancey will head out to Auburn University.