Gilchrist and Inova: Expanding Access to Compassionate Hospice Care

This week, I’m pleased to highlight a new chapter in Gilchrist’s growth and impact: a strategic joint venture with Inova Health System to expand access to expert, compassionate hospice care for patients and families in Northern Virginia. 

Inova is Northern Virginia’s premier nonprofit healthcare provider, caring for more than a million patients each year through a vast network of hospitals, primary and specialty practices, emergency centers, and outpatient services. Consistently ranked among the top systems in the country for quality, safety, and patient experience, Inova shares many of the same values we hold at GBMC HealthCare – most importantly, a commitment to treating the whole person with dignity and compassion. 

This partnership is a strong alignment of mission and expertise. By combining Inova’s expansive healthcare network with Gilchrist’s deep knowledge in serious illness and end-of-life care, the collaboration will bring high-quality, home-based hospice services to individuals across the region. Care will be available in private homes, senior living communities, and Inova hospitals, with services expected to begin in early 2026. 

What makes this collaboration unique is its shared vision: to create an integrated care model that supports not only the medical needs of patients, but also their emotional and spiritual well-being, especially during life’s most vulnerable stages. This approach aims to close care gaps, reduce avoidable hospitalizations, and ensure families receive support in the settings they call home. 

Just two weeks ago, we celebrated Gilchrist’s receipt of the American Hospital Association’s prestigious Circle of Life Award, recognition of its national leadership in person-centered care. Now, we mark another proud milestone. In recent years, Gilchrist has significantly expanded hospice services throughout Maryland, into southern Pennsylvania, and now, through this partnership with Inova, into Northern Virginia. 

It is an honor to join forces with health systems like Inova to meet one of the most critical needs of our aging population and to ensure more patients and families receive the best care and support possible at the end of life. 

View more information on the partnership. 

Honoring Carolyn Candiello's Legacy of Quality

Colleagues came together to honor
Carolyn during her workforce
retirement celebration.

This week, we celebrate the remarkable career and retirement of one of GBMC’s influential leaders: Carolyn Candiello, Senior Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety. After more than four decades in healthcare and nearly 15 years at GBMC, Carolyn is beginning a new chapter, leaving behind a legacy defined by innovation and continuous improvement.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Carolyn across two organizations. Our journey began at Caritas Christi in Massachusetts, where I witnessed firsthand her brilliance and commitment to doing what’s right for patients. When I arrived at GBMC in 2010, I reached out to Carolyn to ask if she’d consider taking on a challenge and helping us build a true quality program aligned with our vision. 

Thankfully, Carolyn said yes, and her husband Marco was supportive and willing to relocate to Baltimore. That decision changed the course of our health system.

Upon her arrival, Carolyn partnered with then-Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Saunders to develop the Quality and Patient Safety program that would come to define us today. What started as a vision became reality through initiatives like public-facing dashboards, Patient and Family Advisory Councils, and the inclusion of patients and staff in Board Quality meetings. She championed meaningful ideas like Just Culture and the CARES peer support program. These systems emphasize accountability, compassion, and respect for the workforce. 

Under Carolyn’s leadership, GBMC became the first healthcare system in Maryland to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a national symbol of excellence that reflects the culture she helped create: one of transparency, Lean thinking, and relentless learning from safety events. This is a significant accomplishment that we could not have achieved without her.  

Carolyn’s impact reaches far beyond GBMC. She has contributed to national progress through her roles with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the National Patient Safety Steering Committee, and the Baldrige Program. Her daily emails served as insight on our progress toward patient safety goals and consistently reminded us about our shared purpose. Carolyn has guided us in our work and helped us become better leaders, colleagues, and care providers. 

The quality program she built is a foundational part of who we are, and her legacy will continue to touch the lives of patients and families for generations to come.  

On a personal note, Carolyn has been far more than a trusted colleague: She’s been a wise advisor and a dear friend. I often joke that I wouldn’t let her retire until I decided to also retire. 

Carolyn: Thank you. We wish you joy, health, and plenty of time to enjoy your grandchildren and family in this well-earned next chapter.