Heather went above and beyond to ensure one of our long-term antepartum patients was not only well cared for in our hospital, but also when she was transferred out to the main campus for delivery. This patient was admitted to High Risk OB (HROB) in the presence of metastatic cancer. Symptom management and pain management were a priority for her. This patient refused to transfer to palliative care at main campus due to a prior experience and her and her family was comfortable with the care she was receiving from her physicians and nursing staff at Fairview. They are both quoted as saying we are like family. This patient remained on the unit for approximately 2 months prior to transfer. She bonded particularly with Heather.
In the last week or so that she was an inpatient with us, her status began to decline and discussions surrounding delivery began. It was decided and agreed upon by the provider, patient, and family that she would be transferred to the main campus for delivery where she could immediately receive care from palliative medicine and her baby receive care in the NICU as she was delivering prematurely. Though the patient and family knew they were doing what was best for her and her baby they were sad to leave what they knew and trusted here at Fairview. I asked the patient if she would appreciate some of our nursing staff transferring to the Special Delivery Unit on her day of delivery to provide support for her. She was very grateful for the offer and hoped this could work out. Heather graciously offered her assistance. On the day of delivery, she traveled to the SDU to support not only the patient but also her family and the staff at the SDU as well. This was a very difficult situation for all involved and I received feedback that Heather significantly improved this experience for all involved. Her support in this situation was tremendous and we cannot thank her enough for what she did and continues to do each and every day!