M was a member of this community who had misfortune fall upon him. He was a young man who ended up with Guillen-Barre that severely affected his ability to move and breathe on his own. He was a patient here for nine months. The ICU and PCU teams took care of M during his most critical moments and for over half his stay - 150 days. The ICU and PCU team adopted M as part of their family, including him in daily discussions, treating him with respect, providing him with dignity - even when he couldn't respond. It was nice to hear them speaking to him with such respect; it was also nice to hear them relating to him on a personal level.
This was truly a team effort that I believe was led by Raydel Garcia and Kari Larson. They are the ones who reached out to me to discuss what their options were to help M.
There were several nurses who also became important to M but all were instrumental in his excellent outcome - Pat Meadows, Marcia McLean, Kati Franklin, Atiya Kuha, Vonneda Hendrickson, and many more. It's difficult to name just a few. This was truly a team effort. Tracey worked hard to find family and became a resource for M.
Michelle worked tirelessly to get M back on his feet - which was a miracle fulfilled! She would also bring M back to the ICU to visit per his request when he was ultimately transferred to MedSurg. M would just want to come "hang out" with his ICU/PCU family.
This team helped bridge the geographical gap between the patient and his family by providing a tablet with their own money so he could Skype his family when able.
They provided comfort to a patient who was alone and suffering - played games, sang songs to him, kept him company, made him feel a part of our family.
Raydel acted as the patient's personal barber on a couple of occasions. The patient had been here so long, this little detail needed care too.
The nurses and CPs would prepare M for trips outside, even while on the ventilator, to ensure those needs were met.
Nurses brought him food from outside when he was able to eat again by mouth.
They provided him with excellent care to prevent skin breakdown and nosocomial infections.
M survived a catastrophic disease and did not acquire additional debilitating injuries throughout his stay with us. The care he received encompassed the compassion and expertise indicative of a high-quality organization. He went from complete paralysis to regaining movement and some use of his arms, ability to stand and walk with a walker for a short distance.
M was so grateful for his ICU/PCU nurses and techs. He felt a real bond with this team. The team also felt a real bond with M.
It's difficult to leave out the work the staff did on Med/Surg, so before I close, I would like to say that their care was outstanding as well. They also provided quality care as aligned with our mission. The medical team was amazing. No one works alone in these situations, however, there are a few who create that special bond - in this case, because M was here so long, he touched many of the lives and hearts of the staff in ICU and PCU, as they touched his life and heart.