What My Hospice means is different to each individual and family we serve. For Registered Nurse Mark Sells, it means honoring his patients’ Three Most Important Things.

When Caris Healthcare admits a patient to hospice, they ask “What Three Most Important Things do we need to know about you to provide excellent care?” Registered Nurse Mark Sells admitted a patient diagnosed with respiratory failure in the ICU at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee just two days after Christmas. The patient listed his Three Most Important Things in order of importance: family, faith, and his dogs.

Mark strives to meet all patient needs and Three Most Important Things whenever possible, and for this patient, his dying wish was to see his dogs again. Even though it was late on a Friday evening, Mark contacted the hospital’s palliative care department to discuss hospital policy regarding pet visitation. With the help of the hospital’s patient advocate, the patient’s fur babies were given permission for a visit.

Mark shared the good news with the patient’s family that the visitation was approved and informed them about the rules regarding pets in the hospital. On the following Sunday afternoon, the patient’s beloved dogs visited with him and wouldn’t leave his side in the hospital bed, and, of course, the patient was ecstatic. The patient died the following day. Mark commented, “It was an honor to be a part of something so important to our patient and assured me that honoring the Three Most Important Things makes for world class hospice care.”

Story Submitted by Caris Healthcare