Charles "Red" Barrett Memorial Golf Tournament

On behalf of WilMed Hospice and the Barrett family, I want to express our deep appreciation for JAS's support of the 14th annual Charles "Red" Barrett Memorial Golf Tournament. This popular tournament was a rousing success again this year because of the excellent support of the business and civic communities, and our faithful golfers.

Funds raised by the tournament are applied directly to patient/family care, providing pain control, symptom management and support for families and patients dealing with a terminal illness. Please know how much we appreciate the generosity of your donation.

Plans are well underway for next year's event on June 9, 2006.

When planning your charitable support budget for the year 2006, please consider again including this important fund-raising effort to provide the peace, dignity and compassion that WilMed Hospice staff and trained volunteers bring every day to folks in Wilson and surrounding counties.

Joyce Wolfe

Event Coordinator
 

The Extra Effort

To whom it may concern:

I just wanted to let someone know what a great job your ambulance crews are doing. We (my father and I) have used your services several times, and everyone has always been extremely courteous, professional, friendly, efficient, and capable.

Our trip back home from UNC hospital at 1:30 AM was an example of your ambulance crew going the extra mile. Because my father is not ambulatory, I have to use a Hoyer lift to get him in and out of bed. And because I had back surgery at the end of April, (that unfortunately isn't healing well or quickly) I am limited as to what I can do or lift, even while wearing my back brace.

Anyway, to make this long story a little shorter, the ambulance crew stayed and helped me get my father safely into bed, even though they would have been perfectly within their rights just to drop him off in his wheelchair and call it a night.

It probably didn't take that many minutes out of their schedule, but to two people who had just come from spending almost nine hours in the ER, it was most appreciated.

My father passed away peacefully in his sleep a few weeks later at home, as he wished to be, when it was his time. It was kind of a shock at first, but I am comforted by the thought that he is together with my mother again, (She died in 97 - they were married for 50 years, can you believe it?) and that he is in a better place. Thank you for making his time here more comfortable.
 

MedCenter Air Transport

Dear JAS crew of Brian, Dawn, and Robert:

You all assisted this MedCenter Air crew, on Thursday night, with the transport of a very sick patient from Duke University Medical Center to RDU Airport. That night, every person from JAS was very professional, resourceful, and helpful from the time we arrived at the patient's room to pick her up for transport, until we lifted off from the airport. From the start, every one of our saw that there were too many people in the room so you all waited, graciously, in the hallway until we were ready for help transferring the patient from the bed to the stretcher. Then, you promptly got us to the ambulance and en route to the airport, running emergency traffic.

But, your help did not end there. JAS went above and beyond for us when we all reached the airport. Your offer to have another truck come with backup oxygen in case we needed it, to run our BiPAP machine (which uses a lot of oxygen), was very much appreciated. And, thank you, to dispatch that night for coordinating the effort. Also, thank you for letting us borrow one of your oxygen tanks for the patient's air transport. By the way, that tank was returned the next night by some of the same MedCenter Air crew members, when JAS met us again for a patient transport.

The patient made it home to be with her family, thanks very much in part to the great team effort by everyone that night.

Brian: Thank you for all your help in the ambulance and all of your suggestions, especially the idea of another truck for backup oxygen.

Dawn: Thank you for all your help and the great job on running emergency traffic without throwing us all around in the back and getting us to the airport safe and sound.

Robert: Thank you for all your help even though it was one of your first days on the job.

Thank you again for all the professionalism, resourcefulness, and help on Thursday night, it was greatly appreciated. It is always a pleasure to work with all the employees at JAS. You all work together as a great team with the MedCenter Air crews every time we come to town.

Reflections of a patient's daughter

To whom it may concern:

My mother is a patient at the Brian Center of Durham on Fayetteville Rd., where she has been for the last four and a half years.

She had to be taken to see an orthopedic Doctor in Chapel Hill and your service was called to transport her. Unfortunately, the visit took much longer than any of us had anticipated (well over three hours) and the waiting room was jam-packed and it was hot as blazes outside. Needless to say it was a long afternoon for us all.

I wanted to let your company know what an outstanding job your two guys did that day. I believe their names were Ricky Irby and Ira Christmas (I may not have the spellings right). They were so kind in their handling of my mother and so patient to wait it out with us. They never once looked at their watches (at least what I saw) and never made me feel rushed or uncomfortable for their obvious inconvenience. Their behavior was exemplary and I thought I should let you know what an outstanding job they did.

Each time your company has been involved with any of my mother's transfers to and from hospitals and doctors, I have been impressed and very pleased; but these guys just did a really great job and I thought you would want to know.

I have copied the Brian Center on this letter with the hopes that they too recognize the value and quality of your service.