To the staff at Greenville Memorial’s Neuro ICU, I wanted to write after my mother-in-law’s recent admission to your unit. My mother-in-law, C, unfortunately, had an ICH related to her advanced metastatic breast cancer and recently spent nearly 5 days on your unit. While I hesitate to say that one can have a ‘good’ experience when their loved one is facing such a major health crisis, I can say that my whole family knows our experience was as good as it gets, thanks to the incredible team that took care of C. Due to her cancer, C unfortunately had more than one admission to Greenville Memorial, and her admission to the Neuro ICU was a stark contrast to the care she’s received on other units. First was C’s knowledgeable team of physicians, namely, Dr. R and Dr. A, who guided us through the murky waters of the world of critical care that we know so little of. They allowed us to participate in rounds daily and took the time to answer every single question, big and small, without ever giving us the sense that we were rushed or that they had elsewhere to be. They treated us as if C were their only patient and as if they had all the time in the world to make sure we understood her care and were confident in her plan. As C’s illness progressed and our conversations turned more serious, the team patiently waited as we phoned every member of our large family, asked one thousand questions, and pondered out loud about all the choices laid out in front of us.
Then we get to her incredibly skilled nurses. We were blessed to have nothing but fantastic nurses day and night, but the two that stick out as the true heroes of C’s admission were Callahan and Art. They showed deep compassion at every point in C’s care - from explaining her medication, equipment, diagnosis, plan, and tests, to ensuring they spoke directly to C every time they touched her or gave her a med and explained to her exactly what they were doing- even though we all knew she wasn’t able to process it. These two gentlemen made sure we felt that C was the most important patient in the hospital, and their gentle care for us all helped us to make the right choices for C to minimize her suffering and bring her peace in her final days. From the rehab therapists who returned multiple times to ensure C was seen, to the hospice team who got to know us and guided us through each painful step, and the charge nurse who bent the rules for us when C’s daughter-in-law (a nursing mother to a newborn) rushed to the hospital with baby in tow after we made C DNR (but before we understood that it would take days - not minutes or hours - for her body to shut down). Even down to the gentleman who was sure to carefully and gently remove C’s EEG leads after we decided to withdraw care, we were met time after time by immense compassion, respect, and care. At the hospital where I work, we have a saying that guides so much of our daily interactions with patients and their families - “our ordinary is their extraordinary.” It’s our constant reminder that, while we may be having just another day at work, our patients and their families are going through what is undoubtedly one of the scariest and most traumatic experiences of their lives, and one they will remember forever. It was obvious to our entire family throughout our time on the unit that this kind of thinking and training is a core tenet of your unit’s culture, one that is deeply ingrained in all of the bedside staff. I cannot express how grateful we are for the gentle and compassionate care we received, and how much it did to soften the blow of the tremendous loss we endured when C eventually passed in hospice. We can honestly say that we can look back on her admission without harboring anger, blame, or unnecessary pain related to her hospitalization, which feels like something not many can say. All this to say - thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the thoughtful and tender care you gave to our family and to our beautiful C. Thank you for the culture of compassion that permeates the unit. Thank you for the humanity you brought to C’s care (something that often gets lost in ICUs), and thank you for allowing her to die with dignity and peace.
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After 5 weeks and counting, my wife has received the greatest care imaginable from "Spa" day with hair washing and styling to nail care, her every need has been dealt with in a compassionate way. The staff has been like an extension of our family. They truly are angels sent from Jesus.
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Our son was in the Neuro ICU unit at Greenville Memorial (Prisma Health). The care he received was phenomenal! They were all very attentive to his needs, along with ours. They ALWAYS asked if we had any questions and were so willing to help us through this very difficult and emotional journey. It is wonderful to see such a dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate staff here in the Neuro ICU.