Mary Solis joins Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Board of Directors. Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has announced the addition of Mary Solis to its Board of Directors. Solis recently retired from the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center after 34 years as an oncology social worker and department manager. During her time at the Cancer Center, Mary expanded services to include 12 support groups, case management, financial assistance, and individual & family counseling services.
Prior to working with the Cancer Center, Mary spent 2 years at Catholic Charities as a caseworker. She also developed a wig & hat closet, a lymphedema clinic and worked collaboratively with other community organizations to create a Community Palliative Care Program.
In her role as caseworker, she encountered many people who were facing homelessness, to assist in addressing this social malady, Mary wrote a successful grant proposal. Through this community grant, church leaders and social workers collaborated together to create temporary shelters, eventually securing a building and naming the facility, “Transition House.”
“We are honored to have Mary on board. She has done great things for the community during her lifetime and we are excited to see what she brings to the team,” said David Selberg, CEO of Hospice of Santa Barbara.
Mary graduated with her Masters of Social Work from UC Berkeley. In 2004 she received the Oncology Social Worker of the Year Award from the Association of Oncology Social Workers. She continues to work part time as a clinical social work supervisor for the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center.
Hospice of Santa Barbara — Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara also provides counseling in our offices and on fifteen local junior and high school campuses to children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.