Cascade Health Hospice Team

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Laura Helfrich, R.N.

Director of Hospice Services

  • While spending the first 11 years in the clinic and hospital setting, Laura learned that people heal better in their homes. Laura joined the home health team 10 years ago. Laura has been a leader and nurse educator in home health, always looking for innovative ways to provide services to patients in their home. Serving the community towards better health is what brings gratification to Laura’s work life. She also enjoys gardening, sewing, spending time with her grandkids.

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Kristy Haun, R.N.

Hospice Manager

  • Bio coming soon!

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McKenzie Bellis, R.N.

Pete Moore Hospice House Manager

  • McKenzie was born and raised in the Lane County area and feels honored to care for her community through nursing and leadership. She holds over 15 years of healthcare experience with specialties in reproductive care, critical care, and hospice and palliative care. McKenzie holds certificates in crisis response, patient advocacy, clinical education, and forensics. She cares deeply about every individual’s right to receive safe, informative, and compassionate healthcare at every stage of life. When she isn’t caring for patients or supporting team members, she is usually enjoying nature with friends and family through hiking, gardening, and yoga.

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Sheree Miller, R.N.

Clinical Manager

  • Bio coming soon!

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Kristi Wallace, F.N.P.

Family Nurse Practitioner

  • Kristi Wallace has been working in some form of the medical field since the age of 18, starting out as a hospital housekeeper. She graduated from Linfield College with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1990 and spent the next five years working as a nurse in a 14-bed hospital in rural Alaska. She returned to Eugene and subsequently spent 17 years working in correctional medicine.

    She earned her MS in Nursing Administration in 2009 and then her Family Nurse Practitioner in 2010. She began working in the field of palliative care and hospice in 2021 and knew then that she’d found the field she was always meant to be in.

    In her spare time, Kristi enjoys cooking and baking and doing crafts. She enjoys spending time with her teenage grandchildren and is a devoted dog mom to her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Hazel, Henry, and Harper.

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Kate Brassington

Chaplain

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Kate Brassington joined Cascade in 2022 to support those affected by grief and loss in our community. Kate has spent over a decade working with and studying grief. Passionate about bereavement support, she feels honored and deeply humbled to be with people in these tender, intimate, and often pivotal times in their lives. Kate has a Masters in Divinity and is trained as a clinical chaplain. During her residency at a hospital in Portland, she specialized in Pediatric Palliative Care and studied applied clinical ethics. Kate loves exploring creeks with her children, celebrating obscure holidays, and playing her ukulele.

Preeti Yonjon Feist

Preeti Yonjon Feist

Volunteer Coordinator

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

    Preeti joined Cascade Health in 2021. She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Eastern New Mexico State University, and master’s degrees in gerontology and social responsibility from St. Cloud State University. A community organizer at heart, Preeti enjoys working in hospice and palliative care. Prior to joining Cascade Health, she spent nine years managing various volunteer programs and has expertise as a DEI trainer and advanced health are directive program coordinator. She was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal and in her spare time enjoys practicing yoga and meditation as well as gardening, biking and the outdoors.

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Amber Vester, D.O.

Medical Director

  • Bio coming soon