A Shoulder to Rely On
On a daily basis our staff works with patients facing difficult situations and life threatening illnesses. Sometimes a patient’s illness can last several months and family members become overwhelmed.
One such patient was in and out of the ICU often over more than three months. He was very ill and the prognosis was poor. This patient’s wife rarely left his side while he was hospitalized. EMMC Social worker Lois Latour and the patient's wife spent a lot of time together during those months. Lois became an advocate for the wife who was communicating with caregivers on behalf of her husband.
Then he took a dramatic turn for the worse and it became apparent that he was not going to survive. The wife asked for Lois and she immediately dropped everything. Lois did not leave the wife’s side as the patient slipped away. Lois stayed late into the evening and never suggested there was anywhere else she needed to be. She offered constant support and encouragement to the wife, calling family members and clergy and helping the family make some difficult decisions at the end.
Lois works tirelessly to meet the needs of patients and their families while they are in our care. When she is with a family in crisis, their needs are her priority. By going out of her way to help families take care of life’s heartbreaking details, Lois demonstrates her commitment to our mission to care for patients, families, communities, and one another.
Lois’ coworkers have awarded her a Splash Award, EMMC’s highest employee honor, for going above and beyond to deliver EMMC’s mission. Lois truly exceeded expectations and exemplifies putting the Patient First and Delivering Excellent Service.