NSUH opens new palliative care unit

This Valentine’s Day an unusual story of love unfolded at the North Shore University Hospital. A new palliative care unit opened after several fundraisers, and an able minded group of volunteers set their sites on easing the pain and suffering of terminal patients. The leader of this group of volunteers, Dorothy Forte, successfully raised $300,000 towards its opening.
The story begins with Gerry Trunz who passed away from cancer in 2006. Following this experience, family friend Forte decided to come together with Gerry’s family and friends to create a unique palliative care unit (PCU).
As fundraisers went by and donations came in, the PCU was built. What brings the story full circle were the events of December 16, 2007. Forte’s mother-in-law, Elizabeth was visiting her husband, Peter, in another unit of the hospital.
While visiting, she suffered a debilitating stroke from which she would not recover. As the seriousness of her condition became clear, she was moved to the PCU, the same unit that her daughter, Dorothy, had worked to create. Elizabeth would pass away in the PCU but due to her daughter’s efforts she was able to do so comfortably surrounded by family, including her husband.
Dorothy’s husband, Joseph, took his father to see Elizabeth nearly every day during the ordeal. “My parents were together all the time,” said Joseph. He went on to say that right after the stroke his mother was conscious and that his father was able to talk to her for a bit.
As Elizabeth went into a coma, the services at the PCU made it possible for Peter to still share his love with her. One night as the two were visiting, Joseph overheard Peter asking to have the lights lowered so that he could talk with his wife romantically.
“What makes this center unique is that the staff is focused on not just the patient but the families,” said Joseph.
Dr. Dana Lustbader is the section chief for the PCU. “It started because we recognized we were doing a poor job with treatment at the end of life,” said Lustbader. She also noted that North Shore University Hospital was one of a few hospitals with a separate palliative care unit. Patients can be of any age, just with terminal illnesses. They have even had consultations with children and babies.
The PCU looks like anything but a normal hospital wing. Gone are the white tile floors with matching white walls. This part of the building has hard wood floor tiles, soft green walls, a running waterfall, paintings, fine art photographs and even a tranquility room.
That room includes a place for family members to rest, a four-panel wall mural, coffee machine and a glass wall with bamboo encased in the glass. The rest of the PCU has CD players in each room, a lending library, and a staff willing to do almost anything to make family and friends feel comfortable while participating in the care of their loved one.