No One Dies Alone Program Seeks Volunteers

After the launch of its No One Dies Alone (NODA) program, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center continues to build its volunteer ranks to help meet end-of-life care needs.

“We talk about it being a patient need, but it’s really a need of our own to serve – an opportunity for us to serve somewhere,” said Randy Tingle, Fort Sanders Regional’s chaplain. “For those people who have a need to serve, this is an opportunity to do so.”

NODA, a national volunteer program that recognizes the right of every person not to die alone, was launched in January 2017 at Fort Sanders Regional soon after a case manager on the hospital’s oncology floor asked Tingle what could be done for the 10 or so patients who die alone at the hospital each year. Tingle found the national NODA program and training for volunteers or “compassionate companions,” as they are more appropriately known.

The program is available to any patient at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. In its over three years at Fort Sanders Regional, our NODA program has helped almost 50 patients at the end of their life.

Our NODA volunteers serve at their own discretion by providing a 2-3 hour time period when they’re usually available should a NODA patient arise.

For more information about NODA or to volunteer, call the chaplain’s office at (865) 331-1235 or email Randy Tingle at [email protected].