I am the physician of the Hospice and Palliative Care Consult Team at Mountainview Hospital. Typically, we deal with difficult conversations, tremendous pain & symptom burdens, and many different family dynamics, which are a natural part of Palliative Care & Hospice at Mountainview Hospital. I’d like to share a particular story with you which highlights the dedication of IMC staff.

Two days back, my team took care of a patient whose spouse was also admitted to Mountainview Hospital. The husband was at his end of life.  His wife stated that he has suffered enough and that she believed hospice was the right choice for him.  She, too, was weak and needing oxygen support at this point.  But, she had a last request. She wished that she could be next to her husband for a short period of time before he leaves. My team took the initiative to make this wish a reality.  I must share our team’s collective gratitude to Sanda - the CNC, the respiratory team, and the IMC nurses involved in doing everything they possibly could to make her wish come true. It took time, dedication, and care. The staff carefully titrated her oxygen support, giving time to make sure she was stable to be transported as safely as possible while the other team made sure that her husband was comfortable.  Sanda transported her to her husband’s room. She then was able to spend some quality time with him. She said her goodbyes until it was time for him to go to the in-patient hospice unit.  Then Sanda took her back to her room and stayed with her to make sure she was okay. The small collaboration between the teams is what made this all a tremendously impactful moment of closure as we just received word from the family that her husband passed away peacefully last night. The family is grieving well and will be supported by hospice through the grieving process.

I am proud of my team here and proud of the work we do for our patients every day. I also feel compelled to highlight the work of and express my pride in the nurse who go above and beyond, even though they are tired, stressed, and sleep deprived.  Thank you to CNC-Sanda and her team of RNs and all the RTs that helped this couple spend their last moments together.  It is a small gesture, but it made a big impact.  Every moment needs to be celebrated! After what we’ve all been through during the pandemic, we need more good stories to be happy and proud of.