Hospice of Wake County is formed as a non-profit organization, with one staff member and 20 volunteers. The first patient admitted is a young child with leukemia, and five more patients are served that year.

The first Board of Directors of Hospice of Wake County includes Dr. Billy Dunlap (hematologist and oncologist in Raleigh), Kathleen Townsend (primary-care nurse at Rex Hospital), and Derenda James (nurse at WakeMed).