Hospice Care & New Island Staff- A Blessing

My dear friend Herbert, for whom I acted as Health Care Agent was transferred to your hospital and admitted to the ICU. I arrived from Florida and after talking with Dr. Hussain, discovered how seriously ill Herb was.  As his Health Care Agent I was well aware that he did not want extraordinary measures to keep him alive. Regardless, making that decision was not an easy one.

One of your nurses, Mike Arcuri was assigned to care for Herb.  He gave him excellent care as well as being extremely supportive to me and my husband, through the facilitation of the difficult decision I knew I had to make and the arrangements for Hospice care.  Without hospice involved  there was no way that he and I could have been at peace with how he spent his final days.

I want to commend all your nursing staff in ICU for their support. Your lead nurse in ICU also went above and beyond to help us locate a motel to stay in. You can rest assured that we were extremely pleased with Herbert's hospital care and staff support.

I am retired ,having worked in the healthcare industry for more than eighteen years, and my husband and I still volunteer at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. We felt that we were made to "feel at home" in your hospital.

Thanks to you and your staff,

Vera Benjamin

Jacksonville, Florida