NSMC recognizes how important it is for patients to have someone to talk to during their stay. We use different terms at the two hospitals— Compassionate Care at NSMC Union Hospital and Friendly Visitors at NSMC Salem Hospital—but they are essentially the same idea: an opportunity for patients (or patients' families) to be visited by someone who will listen with compassion, make conversation, be a mealtime companion, or read aloud to them. Many patients report that they found renewed strength and resolve for wellness because of such a visit.

If you’d like someone to visit you while at the hospital, ask your primary nurse to make a request for you.