Erlanger Logo

Spirit of Excellence Award

Amy Walthour, MD – Hospitalist

Aaron Cohen DO

It was very quickly known that a patient on our floor’s condition was terminal. This man had a hard-lived life and had no family support or contact. Dr. Walthour did her all to help this patient feel safe and comfortable through the dying process. As his time came nearer, he began to worry what would happen to his dog, Cherry, once he was gone and mentioned he had a friend that occasionally took care of Cherry. Dr. Walthour reached out to his friend about the dog, and she was able to make it to the hospital. The patient was not fully responsive but opened his eyes and smiled when we told him someone will look after Cherry.

After the patient’s passing, Dr. Walthour drove out to Alabama and picked up the dog. The dog had quite a few medical needs herself and Dr. Walthour took care of everything. Cherry is now a part Dr. Walthour’s family and is living her best life.