Allied Services Hospice Honors Geisinger’s School of Medicine with Star Volunteer Award Members News May 21, 2025 Medical students’ No One Dies Alone chapter ‘sits vigil’ with hospice patients Allied Services Hospice recognized Geisinger School of Medicine with its Star Volunteer Award on April 22. The medical school’s chapter of No One Dies Alone (NODA) was honored for its dedication and compassion “sitting vigil” with actively dying patients, offering a comforting presence in the room. The volunteers’ presence provides solace, so that no one faces their final moments in solitude. The program started modestly with just three students, but every September, new volunteers were recruited, expanding the reach and impact of NODA. “With the help of Dr. (Lauren) Nicholls, assistant professor, who is also the Palliative Care Interest Group’s facilitator, we partnered with Allied Health Services and their hospice in Scranton,” said club founder SooYoung VanDeMark, MD ’25. “If students can provide companionship so that patients feel less alone, that’s such a straightforward way for a medical student to make a profound impact. I also find that hospice volunteering helps keep the pressures, demands and rigor of medical school in perspective.” Student volunteer Katelyn Whetstone, MD ’28, agreed that the hospice experience has helped her confront her own ideas about mortality. “I joined the NODA club to confront the aspect of medicine that intimidated me most: death,” she said. “And I have no regrets. Through this experience, I gained a profound understanding that medicine is not solely about healing, but also about providing comfort and presence in life’s final moments.” The program has grown significantly, with 15 student volunteers from Geisinger School of Nursing and a total of 82 volunteers participating in various activities. Laurie Fleming, volunteer coordinator at Allied Services Hospice and Palliative Care Programs, coordinates the schedules, sending out text messages to find available volunteers. She is mindful of their academic commitments, allowing them to bring their studies while sitting with non-responsive patients. Volunteers introduce themselves to the patients, reminding them of their presence throughout their shift, and gently touch the patients before leaving. In addition to personal growth, Ms. Fleming said, students gain a professional sense of hospice and learn how it takes a team to deliver optimum care. “I’m proud to see them learn what hospice is and is not,” she said. “Hospice is for the living. Our student volunteers learn this. It also teaches them bedside manner and how to deal with other staff, nurses and family members.” Aubrey McGovern, MD ’27, is now president of the NODA club and was present to accept the Star Volunteer Award on behalf of the club. “It has been such a privilege to lead this group and continue the NODA program with my classmates, especially with such an incredible hospice center and all the amazing staff at Allied,” she said. “It’s about more than just being there physically for individuals in the process of passing on — it’s about respect and providing comfort and support to their loved ones. We are so honored to carry on this partnership with Allied Services Hospice.” Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students accept their Star Award from Allied Services Hospice. Seen from left are Laurie Fleming, volunteer coordinator at Allied Services Hospice and Palliative Care Programs; Tommy Ahlin, MD ’28, of Pittsburgh; Aubrey McGovern, MD ’28, of Carbondale; and Kelly Langan, RN, BSN, CHPN, director of inpatient hospice servicesfor Allied Services Hospice.
