UNSUNG HEROES 2023
When John Welch learned of the No One Dies Alone program , he knew that it needed to be implemented at St . Joseph . | Photo by Janie Slaven
came to the ER , I wanted to continue seeing high acuity patients right after triage , but I also wanted to see healthier people . Honestly I was getting a little burned out with Covid in the ICU .”
Upon his arrival at St . Joseph
London about a year and a half ago , John Welch saw the need , especially at the height of the pandemic when no visitors were allowed in hospitals . Even after visitors were allowed in hospitals , Welch said , some family members wouldn ’ t stay in the room if the patient was positive for the virus .
A newly-created program at St . Joseph London called No One Dies Alone will pair volunteers with patients in their last moments who don ’ t have family or friends to be with them .
When he learned of the program , he knew that it needed to be implemented at St . Joseph .
The No One Dies Alone program was developed by Oregon ICU nurse Sandra Clarke more than 20 years ago . Welch recounted how a patient had asked Clarke to stay in his or her final moments . Clarke had agreed but went to check on her other four patients first , and by the time she returned a couple of hours later , the patient had already passed .
“ I was constantly encountering the same problem in the ICU and ER ,” Welch said , adding that the situation was exacerbated by Covid . “ The nurse caretakers stepped in to be that human presence at the bedside — to physically hold their hand , talk to them , listen to them if they were still able to communicate . “ Unfortunately , given our responsibility with our other patients , we were kind of torn between staying with them and taking care of our other patients or having other nurses and techs take care of the patients while we stay in the room with them .”
Welch went to work researching a possible solution and found Clarke ’ s No One Dies Alone , which he brought to his manager . She encouraged him to develop a presentation for hospital leadership , which took about six weeks .
“ It had to be approved by hospital leadership here and also had to get state market people involved ,” Welsh explained .
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