July 28, 2000

James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, often receives thank you letters from grateful patients. Below is one such letter.

Dear Dr. Mongan:

We are writing to convey our heartfelt gratitude to the extraordinary staff of Massachusetts General Hospital, who have helped us through a medically complex and emotionally profound experience.

We live in Bar Harbor, Maine, and receive most of our health care locally. In December, it became clear that John's health was declining. By January, we were quite concerned. Dr. Paul Russell, who we know professionally, recommended that we confer with Dr. Nina Tolkoff-Rubin [of the MGH] and personally discussed our situation with her. Dr. Rubin cleared her calendar on extremely short notice, and we flew to Boston on an emergency basis. Dr. Rubin determined that John was in kidney failure and admitted him immediately. While attempting to stabilize John, she began to look for the root cause and enlisted the help of Dr. Raymond Chung to perform an endoscopy and biopsy. Unfortunately, the biopsy showed that John had gastric carcinoma. Dr. Ben Cosimi and Dr. [Steven] Abbate attempted surgery, which could not proceed because the tumor had metastasized. Dr. Jeffrey Clark has outlined our options in a very clear and compassionate way and is helping us through chemotherapy now. Linda Bonnell, MSW, has spent many late hours helping our family find our emotional bearings during this turbulent time. Through it all, Dr. Rubin provided us with medical oversight, seven days a week for two weeks. She is a beacon for us – a steady, reliable and strong light that guides us through darkness.

The entire nursing staff on Ellison 14 was wonderful, and two nurses stand out in particular: Eileen Comeau, RN, and Carolyn Jones, RN. Eileen and Carolyn took exceptional care of John's physical needs and the emotional needs of the entire family. Both consistently went well beyond the requirements of their job. Eileen made a special trip down to the surgery waiting area to comfort us when we learned that John's surgery was not successful. Carolyn made a point of organizing John's nightly blood draws and medication in a way that allowed him maximum rest, which he badly needed. Both got to know us well and helped provide the physical and spiritual strength to get John back home. In addition, Carolyn sent flowers to welcome us after our long trip home to Bar Harbor.

We have been impressed with the compassion, commitment and professional excellence that each of the members of this team has shown. The coordination between each was evident. The long hours that they work never detracted from our care, but ensured that we got the care and information we needed when we needed it. The entire experience was exceptional, and the care we have received is invaluable.

We know that a difficult road lies ahead, but we know that the MGH team is on our side and will be there when we need them. They have become more than medical practitioners – they are our friends. And we know that our well-being is as important to them as it is to us. That is rare and precious, and we owe all at the MGH an enormous debt of gratitude.

Thank you all.

Sincerely,

John Speh and Tish Tanski