Staff Help Host Unforgettable Wedding

When SMH Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow Caitlin Bass, MD, and the staff on 7ET/Cardiac Progressive 4 heard that patient Frank Rode had been planning to get married before his admission to the hospital, the team sprang into action to arrange a very special wedding at the hospital.

Holly Rhyne, RN, got wind of the patient’s impending nuptials and spread the word to the 7 ET leadership team (Jessica Berkery, Patricia DeBernardo and Natalie Steinberg). They got right to work, purchasing balloons, a wedding cake and flowers to make a bouquet for the bride, who bought wedding rings at the SMH Gift Shop.

Thanks to the care team’s compassion and wedding planning, Frank married Karen Thorsen last week in the hospital courtyard, with family and staff in attendance; see the photo below. The couple, who have been together for 30-plus years, were wed by hospital Chaplain Charles Creech.

Many thanks to Dr. Bass, the Palliative Care and 7 ET teams and Chaplain Creech for going the extra mile to help the pair say “I do” during a very challenging time.