My father passed away after a brief hospitalization at Northern Light Mercy Hospital. He was admitted through the ED, which was extremely busy that night, but nonetheless, was able to provide my father with immediate attention and excellent care, getting started immediately on supportive care and diagnostic tests. He was later admitted to the telemetry floor and subsequently diagnosed with anaplasmosis, which resulted in multi-organ failure and death. I stayed with my father and slept on a cot in his room throughout his stay. I want to express my gratitude to each and every staff member that cared for my father throughout this devastating time, and who expressed much care and compassion for me and my family. Although my father was 91, he expected to live another decade, and was, by all accounts, very health for his age. This illness took us all by surprise. When his test results didn't line up with the clinical picture we were seeing, a person in the lab noted that the abnormalities in his bloodwork seemed consistent with a tick-borne illness. That person relayed this to Dana, the RN working with my dad that day, and she immediately told Dr. Richmond who then ordered a tick panel and started my dad on doxycycline. While the treatment did not improve my father's condition, the staff worked tirelessly to ensure his comfort and to make sure he was receiving all the supports that could possibly help his condition. As a physical therapist myself, having worked in large medical centers in Houston, I was struck by the culture of compassion at Mercy Hospital. Each and every person that entered my father's room, from the cleaners, and cafeteria workers, to the CNAs, nurses, and physicians - did so with an attitude of professionalism and competence, yes - but also with concern, caring, and always with a recognition of, and respect for, the difficulty we were facing. These are some of the people whose names I recall, but there are many more who also deserve recognition: The ED doc and nurses on duty were all extremely busy but still provided timely professional, compassionate care. Two CNAs both named Megan always presented a lighthearted, but professional and competent approach to ensure my dad wasn't embarrassed by the physical care that he now needed. Grace, the head day nurse who made a point of keeping me in the loop with the latest test results. Deedee, the night nurse, who remembered nursing my mom 2 years ago and gave me extra attention and explanations as more information became available. Seeing familiar faces was a comfort to me and is surely a testament to your ability as an organization to retain your employees. Dana the day nurse who worked with my dad for several days, and who was there when he took a final turn for the worse, has an incredibly calm nature that kept my anxiety from escalating. I'm sure she knew the gravity of my dad's situation, and she knew that I suspected as well, but her calm, gentle voice kept me from falling apart. She called the floor on her day off to check on my dad and me. That speaks of her devotion to her calling as a nurse. Matt, Erin (who also nursed my mother), and Erik, nurses who saw my dad early on his stay, also helped to keep him feeling confident that he was in good hands. I particularly appreciated the diversion of Erik's description of the potential of wonderful Maine seafood, as having lived in Asia, we both know there is more flavor in the world than just a simple deep-frying! Kenedy an RN, cared for my father on his last day and had also cared for my mom. Kenedy was wonderful, so compassionate, calm, and reassuring as my father neared the end of his life. Her only concerns were to ensure his comfort and my confidence that he was not suffering. The hospice supervisor and the nurse Christine were exceptional in their understanding of what I was experiencing and their recommendations to make my father more comfortable and also to reduce the trauma I was experiencing. The physicians I interacted with were exceptional. Dr. Richmond spoke with me several times a day during my father's first few days at Mercy. Every time there was more information, she was right there to explain it to me. She knew that something wasn't adding up, and when the lab tech suggested a tick-borne illness, she acted immediately. I've never had such consistent, thorough contact with a physician, and I appreciated being kept informed so very much. Dr. Nieland took over from Dr. Richmond for my dad's last two days. As it became clear that we had a difficult decision to make, he called Dr. Pithadia in to review my dad's options. Dr. Pithadia was very straightforward and clear, which I appreciated and needed in order for information to cut through the noise in my head at the time. Dr. Nieland then remained late that evening to give my sisters time to arrive to go through it all again with them, with much compassion and understanding of our grief. This was above and beyond, in my estimation, but it gave me the support I needed as we made the call to stop providing treatment and allow my dad to die peacefully under hospice care. I'll always be grateful for that. Dr. Pithadia also checked back in with us later that night to answer additional questions we had. While this was the most difficult of situations, the staff at Mercy was, to a person, exceptional in every regard. I'm grateful for their competence, as it gave me confidence that my father was receiving the best care possible, and for their compassion, as it kept my father calm and kept my anxiety in bounds. Please convey my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to everyone involved and to the administrators for fostering a culture of caring.