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On June 24, Connecticut Hospice welcomed Dr. Nathan Wood, a Yale Primary Care Internal Medicine Resident, to a 2-week rotation with our Medical Department and the Interdisciplinary Team. Connecticut Hospice’s care-providers are not only proud to share their hospice and palliative care experience with new healthcare practitioners, but also pleased to receive additional knowledge from visiting practitioners.
Dr. Wood has published on a variety of topics, including hands-on curriculum for teaching practical nutrition, code-switching in medical settings, and the effects of fibromyalgia on long-term analgesic outcomes following total knee and hip replacement surgery.
Dr. Wood is also a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, where he won the Top Toque Award, presented by faculty for highest academic achievement. In 2017 and 2018 he worked as a Medical Student Producer for the Dr. Oz Show, and won a Production Award from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Daytime Emmy Awards. Obviously a man of many talents, our patients and staff have had the pleasure of hearing him play classical piano in our inpatient lobby when not practicing bedside medicine.
This is the first medical rotation since COVID-19 forced a temporary hold on clinical rotations at Connecticut Hospice. All rotations now include orientation on the correct use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) during the coronavirus pandemic.
In July three additional Hospice and Palliative Care Fellows will arrive for orientation prior to each performing a one-month rotation Inpatient and an additional two weeks in Home Care with our teams. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Faisal Radwi, Dr. Alex Choi, and Dr. Bryan Terry.
The John D. Thompson Hospice Institute for Education, Training and Research, Inc. (JDT), the educational ally of Connecticut Hospice, was established in 1979 to provide a vehicle for sharing hospice and palliative care philosophy, experience and skills with students, health care professionals, administrators, caregivers, and the community.
The JDT Hospice Institute offers high-quality continuing education services to physicians and nurses and is accredited to award both CMEs (Continuing Medical Education) and CNEs (Continuing Nursing Education). The Institute is also a premier clinical rotation site and annually host over 300 students from prestigious universities located both in and out of Connecticut and around the world.
To learn more, click here: The John D. Thompson Hospice Institute for Education, Training and Research
On June 10, national expert on pandemics and public policy Professor Howard Forman, MD, MBA, FACR, Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Public Health (Health Policy), Management, and Economics at Yale University, spoke to Connecticut Hospice staff about COVID-19.
Professor Forman answered questions on a variety of topics relevant to professional practices and personal lives during the pandemic.
“It is possible that we are going to live the rest of our lives with a pandemic in some way, shape or form, and we are going to have to acclimate to that. Think about everything you do, and mitigate the risk as much as possible. To think we will never go out or attend family functions and gatherings would probably be ridiculous, but we should all avoid crowded, enclosed, indoor spaces or functions".
"Every single thing you do comes with some heightened risk. The thing that reduces your risk is decreasing mobility and not interacting with anybody and that’s just not how we’re going to be able to live our lives”.
The two practices he emphatically emphasized are wearing a mask always, and testing.
“If no vaccine is available I believe that testing is equivalent. If I could provide you with a $5 - $10 instant test for coronavirus that was highly sensitive, that you could do every day, you would basically eradicate this and have no problem of spread. And if we did this on a wide scale in the United States for a period of time we would stop this”.
Professor Forman stated the belief that testing will be scaled up and cheap enough for widespread implementation in the next six months.
Ideally, he said, “If you are home with someone vulnerable, test often”.
On the subject of pre/asymptomatic spread by a COVID-positive person, he confirmed that there is a documented two-day window before symptoms show when you can infect others.
“It is impossible to know if you are pre-symptomatic. Your assumption should always be at any given point in time that you might be infected – you just may not have symptoms yet”.
While his warnings are sobering, he concluded that with proper protection – wearing masks, frequent hand-washing, constant adherence to social distancing guidelines and avoiding crowded settings – your risk can be greatly mitigated.
Watch the entire session here:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Medical Director at Connecticut Hospice, Dr. Joseph Sacco, has kept staff and volunteers well-informed of policy changes, PPE protocols, local and national COVID-19 data, and much more, through a “Daily Update” email.
He has also tested staff frequently for coronavirus to ensure a safe environment for all, and helped to care for non-COVID and COVID-positive patients alike, with his colleagues on the Interdisciplinary Team.
Some of the most appreciated and morale-boosting gestures he has shared with staff in his Daily Updates are the jokes and contests he has inserted at the end of each email.
A recent Haiku contest drew entries from almost every department of this non-profit organization - Nursing, Dietary, IT, Security/Building Services, Arts, Medicine, Social Work, Volunteers, Business office, & Administration. No subject was off-limits, although the COVID crisis was clearly on many minds. To read the entries, scroll below.
More recently, Dr. Sacco invited Connecticut Hospice staff to submit photographs on the theme “Beauty in Adversity”.
Window visits, at work and at home, were one recurring theme; social isolation featured prominently too. But love, family, humor and resilience were in strong evidence throughout.
We invite you to enjoy some of the submitted photographs, and may you find your own beauty in adversity.
Got both my gloves on
Ignoring my ear rug burn
Caused by my tight mask
Helping families
Supporting dying loved ones
Through their hardest times
I am leaving earth
Skies are calling me to go
My nurse lifts me up
My nurse blesses my
Last breath as I float away
No pain, only love
There was a big tree
That was in the blue ocean
We love that big tree
We will live to fight
That dreaded Covid nineteen
We will hug again
Our workers need masks
So who are you gonna call
Gonna call Batman
Dress in blue scrubs again
Think about some jewelry. Nah.
Lipstick on a pig.
Wash your hands, be safe
Put on a face mask people
Social distance now!
Patience takes hard work
Humans need much more practice
Smiling helps a lot
Gloomy rainy skies
Give way to sunny weather
I want summer heat
This too shall pass then
We will celebrate our work
Each other our caring
Can’t keep my mouth shut
The filter has big holes
Orange looks good on me
Another day home
Yet one more day staying home
Flattening the curve
Three days in the past
Or three days in the future
Fourteen days from then
alone a woman dies
fever ablaze yet pallid
breath halts then expires
Bud, breeze, buzz and bloom
Harken to our higher self
Faith in renewal
My feet in the sand
A frozen drink in my hand
Please bring on summer
In a world ablaze
We cry for our leaders help
The silence deafens
Touch my cheek softly
Say goodbye without weeping
Heaven awaits me
Fearsome pandemic
Exceptional caring folks
Clouds will part some day
Row, row, row our boat
Covidly down the stream, Life
Is NOT but a Dream
Homeschooling my kid(s).
Home care patients need me, too.
Remember to breathe.
Need toilet paper...
#askingforafriend
Charmin or Scott, Please?
Trip to London, nope
The high school musical, nope
First time to prom, nope
Zoom, zoom happy hour
One drink tastes good going down
Two, three even more
History and background of Haiku poetry
Using humor to cope with stress
How nature can restore your health
Ways to maintain your creativity and mental health
Have you seen Beauty in Adversity too? Capture what that means to you in a photograph and send it to us to share on this page. Do you love to compose haiku poetry? All photos and haikus must be your own work, must be copyright free, and you agree that there will be no financial liability to Connecticut Hospice or its employees if your entry is displayed.
Send photos and haikus to Director of Arts Katherine Blossom at [email protected]
On Wednesday afternoon, May 27, the frontline caregivers of Connecticut Hospice were honored by a visit from the Thank You Tour.
Members of the Branford Fire Department, who also attended the tribute, stood to attention as a fifty-foot American flag was raised high into the air overlooking Long Island Sound.
The Thank You Tour is the brainchild of K & J Tree Service, who has put their large crane to good use during the coronavirus pandemic by visiting hospitals around the state to honor all frontline health care workers.
The display at Connecticut Hospice’s inpatient hospital in Branford also featured a giant “Thank You” sign on another of their trucks. Hand-held flags were given to all the staff who came outside to enjoy some sunshine, and those who were on duty inside with their patients waved from windows and balconies.
From the lobby, a patient and her family engaging in a window visit and FaceTime call, assisted by Connecticut Hospice Social Work and Arts staff, enjoyed the proceedings while they chatted.
The event was a memorable respite from the challenging circumstances being endured by individuals, families, healthcare organizations, communities and the nation.
It became a welcome chance to recharge batteries, honor each other, and remember the power of unity and purpose.
A great way to bring Nurses month to a close!
To see the flag-raising and some of our amazing staff enjoying the event, watch this short video:
To find out more about Thank You Tour events, click here: Thank You Tour events
Connecticut Hospice was fortunate on the May 27 Town Hall to enjoy the partnership of world-renowned epidemiologist and Dean of the Yale School of Public Health, Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, in educating its staff.
Dr. Vermund shared his wisdom with Connecticut Hospice staff on COVID-19 protections for health care workers and their families, answering questions on a live Zoom conference, and covering a wide range of topics, including –
With permission from Dr. Vermund, we are pleased to share the entire session with you. We hope you will find this conversation interesting and informative, and we are sure you will glean some insights and reassurance from his knowledge.
Read Dr. Vermund’s bio here:
Read more about Dr. Vermund’s work here:
On a recent spring day, Sybil was brought down to the sunny lobby of Connecticut Hospice inpatient hospital in her bed. Social Work and Arts Department staff had collaborated over several days to orchestrate what was to happen when she got there. Her view through the floor-to-ceiling windows took in more than just the lawns stretching down to the sparkling water of Long Island Sound. On the other side of the glass, positioned six feet apart or more, were some of her closest family members. As staff music therapist Hannah Righter played “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, a favorite family song learned specially for this event, Sybil’s brother-in-law held up a large, colorful sign festooned with hearts, that read “Happy Anniversary”. Other family members held up phones to share this special day with a daughter in Tennessee. Her husband Don, sitting next to a vase of fresh tulips on a small table, leaned right up against the glass and spoke to her on a cellphone.
“It is so difficult not to be able to be with my wife now. Knowing I will see her through the window brings great joy”, he said before arriving. “I am very lucky to have such a wonderful family. I could not ask for more.”
As Hannah played “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue”, Sybil flashed a wide smile and sang along, tapping her hand.
This is how a couple who met days after Don’s return from service in the U.S. Army celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary during coronavirus. When visiting guidelines are severely restricted by state executive orders, and parties must be made up of only a few, who cannot even hug each other, some have found a way to celebrate anyway.
Throughout the world, models of not only health care provision, but also basic human interaction, are being upended by the COVID-19 crisis.
How is hospice care adapting to this new landscape? How are patients and families continuing to receive the type of care and support which are the cornerstones of hospice care? In this article, we take a look at the ways in which Connecticut Hospice has adapted or transformed some of its programs both to meet patient and family needs, and to meet the challenges intrinsic to these times.
To enumerate the many changes and challenges, limitations and restrictions that have been placed on society in the past couple of months, and on health care providers in particular, is possibly redundant when the local and national news covers them almost exclusively on a daily basis. However, the ‘new normal’ presents specific challenges in a hospice setting, where one-on-one support, touch, unlimited family visiting, pet therapy, volunteers, bereavement support groups, and art and music therapies have been integral to hospice care for decades.
But hospice workers have always been resilient, resourceful and collaborative. Their work with patients and families has always required that they find alternatives, offer resources and solutions, empathy and understanding. This is especially true when one of the outcomes most wished for by the patients and families in their care – the cure of their incurable disease - is often beyond anyone’s capabilities.
So when infectious disease protocols and government executive orders limit close one-on-one contact with patients in the inpatient setting to certain staff, those staff-members must carry ever broader shoulders; they may be the only living beings patients can see for now and they must be almost all things to all people. The exception to this is when a patient nears the very end of life when hospice tenet dictates that no patient should die alone. Unlike the current policy in many hospitals, where COVID+ and other patients are not permitted visitors, at Connecticut Hospice, up to two family members may come at that time.
When patients cannot see facial expressions, now covered by masks and face shields, creative medical school students like Shayna Zanker step up to create large laminated badges featuring the friendly smiling face of each staff member.
Teamwork and professionalism under fire has allowed CT Hospice staff to pivot with agility, and to continue to offer excellent care and supportive programs to what is inarguably one of the most vulnerable populations.
The changes undertaken are not limited to emotional or psychological adaptations; technology is playing a huge role where physical contact is not possible. Social Work and Arts staff collaborate to facilitate 'virtual' visits using Facetime, Skype, Messenger, Zoom, etc. as well as taking people like Sybil to the lobby for family visits from the other side of the atrium windows.
Tele-Chaplaincy is now a staple of Pastoral Care. https://www.hospice.com/pastoral-and-spiritual-care/ Chaplains are praying with patients and families together on FaceTime. For Christians, communion is not held with tangible sacraments, but is spiritual and virtual. The advice that Reverend Warren Godbolt, Director of Pastoral Care, learned in theological school has taken on another layer of meaning these days –
“When you can’t find God’s hand, trust God’s heart”.
Bereavement support https://www.hospice.com/bereavement-program/ has been transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well. As in-person support groups were by necessity suspended, group members were contacted to inform them of on-line resources, including a Grief Group via Facebook by grief expert David Kessler. Group members are also encouraged to call the CT Hospice Bereavement Department for phone support any time. As on-line support is now being utilized much more during this time of social distancing, links to resources have also been added to the Bereavement page of the CT Hospice website and Connecticut Hospice Facebook page. Jennifer Stook, Bereavement Director, adds
“Every day we are learning new ways to connect to people needing grief or bereavement support and we are open to being creative while observing HIPAA regulations and privacy for those seeking assistance.”
Home care https://www.hospice.com/hospice-home-care/ staff have faced an array of challenges to their routines and work habits. PPE (personal protective equipment) is of course high on the priority list of caregivers who visit patients in homes and nursing homes, even in normal times. The extra layers of protection now required have to be changed, sanitized, or discarded, continually throughout the day. Some families desire to have no in-person visits in their homes currently at all, so ‘tele-health’ and careful communication and observation by phone or internet is a new option.
Home Care and Inpatient staff were already learning to navigate a range of new technologies connecting them with patients and each other throughout the past few years. The pandemic has accelerated that process. As Eric Smith, Information Systems Specialist, puts it:
“What was supposed to be a transition taking many months, became a transformation that has taken only a few weeks. We’ve taken a broad leap from a traditional information technology environment to one where we can provide and support patient-centered care anywhere, anytime, and on any type of device. We still have a way to go, but we are much, much further along in the process.”
Besides assisting patients and families to visit each other virtually, the Arts Program https://www.hospice.com/arts-program/ has digital exhibitions and music performances lined up to be broadcast on in-house bedside TV channels (for those without laptops or smartphones) until Arts staff and volunteers are permitted to return to making bedside visits.
The John D Thompson Hospice Institute, CT Hospice’s educational arm, https://www.hospice.com/jdt-hospice-institute/ hosts hundreds of interns and students in a normal year. Now, some of those students are finding helpful and creative ways to remain engaged. Students from Yale’s School of Organization and Management are hosting training courses for staff, and Medical and Nursing students are donning PPE and helping in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
Perhaps the most moving example of the indomitable spirit of Hospice care has been the outpouring of generosity and involvement by CT Hospice Volunteers and the community at large. Early in the crisis, a Governor’s order suspended volunteer activities in hospitals. In Hospice care, volunteers serve in every discipline, and while they cannot now visit to help in person, this has not stopped them from remaining engaged on every level.
They have made hundreds of masks, sent music and messages on YouTube and Facebook videos, written articles, made phone calls, recruited donations of food and PPE. In the community, armies of furloughed workers are using sewing machines and 3-D printers to produce much-needed PPE, restaurants are donating meals, and everyone is banding together to help each other through the crisis.
The following has been making the rounds recently –
“FEAR has two meanings – Forget Everything And Run, or, Face Everything And Rise”.
The first option is not in the lexicon of hospice workers. Almost everything has changed in a few weeks. Almost. The mission and spirit of hospice care remain, stronger than ever.
As a not-for-profit, we depend on generous donors to help us provide customized services and therapies that aren’t completely covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance.
Please make a gift to help us sustain the highest standard of care.
Admissions may be scheduled seven days a week.
Call our Centralized Intake Department: (203) 315-7540.
