University of Tennessee Hospice in Morristown, TN

University of Tennessee Hospice in Morristown, Tenn., received a call requesting an information visit from their local hospital late one afternoon. Kimberly Snowden, account executive, went to the hospital and found a family in the ICU in crisis, shock, and extreme pain. Their loved one, only 65 years old, had become acutely ill with the flu, gone into multi-organ failure, and had been intubated for 13 days. The family had solemnly promised their dad that he could die at home. It was his final wish.

Kimberly asked the hospital to delay his extubation and discharge until the next day so that equipment could be put in place at his home. She called Traci Saunders, executive director, who made sure that everything was delivered to the home. The family was told that it would be extremely difficult to take their dad off of the vent and transport him 15 miles to his home, but they wanted to try. The next morning, they extubated him and transferred him to his home via ambulance. Traci was waiting in their driveway for the ambulance to arrive. She got him admitted and comfortable.

He passed away later that evening, in his own home surrounded by his family, his last wish
honored. Kimberly and Traci went above and beyond to help this one family through one of the most painful times of their lives – and honored their patient’s last wish. They made the seemingly impossible possible.