Franklin native appointed new clinical director at hospice

NEWTON — Chelsea Choma has been appointed as Clinical Director at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice.
In this position Choma will be responsible for the planning, direction, supervision, and oversight of the hospice program
Choma was born and raised in Sussex County and grew up the youngest of seven children in Franklin. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2006 and started her career as a registered nurse at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
While at St. Barnabas Choma worked on an orthopedic and neuroscience floor for three years and then took a position floating to twelve medical surgical units for the next two years where she became ventilator and telemetry certified.
During that time, she married Damien Choma in 2009 and they bought a house in Glenwood. After five years at St. Barnabas she left to explore the home care and hospice world. She decided to go to hospice after working in the hospital for many years and experienced a lack of informed decisions families made regarding end of life care.
“I wanted to feel like I was allowing people to live their last days however they wanted,” said Choma. “Also, my husband had lost both of his parents to cancer when he was in his 20s and I saw the impact hospice made on his life.”
Damien called Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice for his father who was on service for several months.
“I remember the peace he had knowing he had support,” said Choma.
The support continued after the passing of his father when the bereavement services would call to check in on him and offer the ongoing support and guidance that was needed.
Choma started out as a hospice and supportive care case manager in Morris county, and then advanced to team leader and manager of the hospice and supportive care team.
After graduating from Ramapo College with a Masters in Nursing Education, the Chomas welcomed twins into the world, Carly and Cole who are the best of friends in 2015.
Choma continued her studies and became Hospice and Palliative Care Certified in 2017. Also that year the family moved to their current home in Lake Mohawk. “...where the kids enjoy beach days and walks on the boardwalk and of course ice cream,” said Choma.
Later that year she was promoted to Associate Director of Clinical Services and continued to manage the hospice and supportive care program as well as the home care clinical component of Sussex and Warren County.
“I am now excited to join the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice family as the Clinical Director,” said Choma.