Staff goes
above,
beyond for
patient
PUTNAM — Healthcare is not only about ensuring health, but providing care for the whole person. That ideal was on display during last week’s severe winter storm at Day Kimball Hospital as well as in homes across the region where Day Kimball Healthcare at Home providers continued to care for patients. Two staff members even braved a lengthy car ride in the dangerous conditions in order to ensure a hospice patient had the medical equipment necessary for a plane flight out of state to visit his family the  next day.
“This morning we received a call from one of our hospice patients to report that the oxygen equipment scheduled for delivery from a local vendor yesterday had not been received, and without it, boarding a plane at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning for an out of state visit with family would not be possible,” said Day Kimball Healthcare at Home Executive Director Renee Smith.
Smith said when Day Kimball Healthcare at Home staff contacted the vendor on behalf of the patient immediately after receiving the call, they learned that the vendor’s local store was closed, and that the only open location in Willimantic would not deliver because of the hazardous weather conditions.
His providers at Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Connecticut (part of Day Kimball Healthcare at Home), Hospice Program Manager Erica Alexander, RN, BSN, CHPN and Home Health Clinical Manager Terri Ducharme, RN, took it upon themselves to make sure that the necessary oxygen equipment was obtained and delivered.
“Without hesitation, Erica and Terri hopped into one of their four-wheel drive vehicles and drove to the supplier, located about 25 miles from Putnam, to pick up the oxygen equipment and deliver it to the patient,” Smith said.
Day Kimball Healthcare President and CEO Anne Diamond praised the efforts of all DKH staff who are going above and beyond to care for patients under difficult conditions.