Providing great patient experience in the face of life’s challenges

Mr. and Mrs. X are both patients served by IP Advanced Illness Management (AIM).  They both frequent the hospital often because of chronic disease, mostly COPD, and have a few barriers related to economic and educational status.  They are loved by their children and many grandchildren.  Mrs. X was diagnosed with lung cancer in January and had 3 readmissions close together earlier this year for which AIM became involved.  Mr. X has been served by AIM since August of 2018 and knew about our services through his own experience.

Mrs. X recently passed away on February 7th at Bronson Methodist Hospital.  Mr. X admitted to the hospital just a few days later.  Mr. X and his family had no community faith connection to help them through the loss of his wife.  Because of the relationship they built with our IP AIM team, especially our chaplain Aaron Jager, Mr. X asked him to perform his wife’s funeral, which Aaron did on February 12th.  Mr. X was released from the hospital just the day before.

Aaron recently told me he’s had the privilege to do this for our unchurched patients a few times in his service to AIM.  Becky Emerson has supported him in taking a few hours of his day to do this important work in our community.  Aaron, with Becky’s support, served Mr. X and his family by helping them move further along their spiritual path when death reared its head.  Mr. X, because of his own illness, likely knows his end is also approaching.

This example showed what impact AIM has on families beyond the hospital walls.  It is also an wonderful example of how leaders support their staff in providing great patient experience in the face of life’s challenges.