糖心Vlog

Chaplain Will Runyon, 鈥�05, Serves in Albany, Ga., One of the Hardest Hit Areas in the World    

Despite protective masks and gowns designed to keep him and his patients safe, Will Runyon, chaplain director for Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany, Ga., found a way to offer comfort in agonizing circumstances. The 2005 School of Divinity alumnus of 糖心Vlog became a bridge between dying patients and their families in a COVID-19 hot spot.

鈥淎lbany, Georgia, and Phoebe during March and April were one of the hardest hit areas in the world,鈥� Runyon stated. 鈥淎t one time, we were third per capita for deaths behind only Wuhan, China, and France. Just like New York, we were seeing more patients die than we had ability to handle.鈥�

Many people in the town of about 74,000 lost multiple family members. 鈥淎t the height of our local crisis, the emotional toll on our team was enormous,鈥� Runyon described. 鈥淲e are blessed to have a robust Employee Assistance Program as well at Phoebe. Our therapists and I worked six and seven days per week during March and April and into May supporting staff as well as holding virtual visits for patients and families. Most of the virtual visits we were doing were limited to those patients who were imminently dying due to the sheer number of deaths we were seeing every day.鈥�

In May, ABC broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer filmed a special report that included the crisis in Albany. She interviewed Runyon and one of the hospital鈥檚 ICU nurses who had lost nine patients that week to COVID-19. Runyon鈥檚 story and photos were also featured in an article in USA Today.

The Albany outbreak was linked to two separate funerals that were held before stay-at-home and physical distancing orders were instituted. 鈥淢any of our staff had been exposed, several of whom became sick, several of whom died,鈥� Runyon related. 鈥淏y March 15, the hospital was forced to lock down our facility to all outside visitors. This also meant that all volunteer services were suspended, including my team of chaplains. Myself and my program coordinator were here to provide emotional and spiritual support. It was a very scary time. It quickly became a very lonely time for us as well as for our patients and families.鈥�

Because of the isolation, Runyon and the staff quickly saw the need to connect dying patients and families. 鈥淪everal nurses started using their personal phones to FaceTime with patient families, as well as myself and other staff,鈥� he commented. 鈥淥ur CEO gave us permission to commandeer several iPads from our information services department to use for this purpose.鈥�

During the most difficult days, he vowed not to let anyone be alone. 鈥淭here is no manual or playbook for what we were experiencing across the nation and the world,鈥� he stated. 鈥淐haplaincy today does not look how it did even six months ago. Being a chaplain means having to adjust and adapt to new infection control measures, visitation policies, and supporting families virtually.鈥�

The crisis subsided in Albany through May and June, and Runyon鈥檚 hospital started allowing limited visitation to patients who were not sick with COVID and visitation allowances for end-of-life situations. However, they were steadily caring for around 50 patients with COVID-19 every day.

While navigating the global pandemic, Runyon experienced some unique blessings as well. 鈥淒uring the height of our crisis at Phoebe, I had a patient with COVID-19 who was rapidly declining. This patient was in her 90鈥檚, alert and able to make her own health care decisions,鈥� he informed. 鈥淪he did not want to be placed on a ventilator. Her family was spread across the country, from Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Because we used iPads and Facetime, we 鈥榞athered鈥� this family, spread across thousands of miles, all at the same time and place to allow them and this patient to see each other. She expressed her desires to her family. Her children and grandchildren pleaded with her to allow the medical team to intubate her, but she talked to them about her wishes. She told them, face to face, what she wanted and why she wanted to forego aggressive treatment. Most importantly, she was able to tell her family goodbye face to face.鈥�

Runyon started the Master of Divinity program at 糖心Vlog in 2002 and met his wife, Mary, when he came to Boiling Springs. He felt called into chaplaincy for several reasons. 鈥淚 grew up with some health issues and spent quite a bit of time as a patient in the hospital, and my mother and several aunts were nurses,鈥� he reflected. 鈥淚 was comfortable in the hospital setting. My growth into chaplaincy was largely experiential. I loved classes with Doug Dickens (GWU professor) and my classmates. But we had several life events that taught us as much about pastoral care as did our class time and work. Mary鈥檚 father passed away six weeks before our wedding. That was also the semester I was taking Grief, Loss, Death and Dying. Doug worked with me to allow our experience to become part of that semester鈥檚 curriculum. During my time at GWU, I also experienced the death of a beloved 41-year-old aunt from breast cancer and a high school classmate who died in an automobile accident. My time at GWU helped me grow into a pastoral clinician, a professional chaplain.鈥�

Runyon concluded, 鈥�2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for me, Mary, and our three children. It has been professionally challenging鈥攁nd personally devastating with the sudden and unexpected death of my brother, David. But this year has taught me that it is OK to question God and whatever plan He may have for our lives. In hindsight, I can absolutely see how God worked to place us in Albany for times such as these. It鈥檚 the getting there, to the other side, to be able to see with hindsight what challenges us, stretches us and frankly tears us down and rebuilds us. We go with the knowledge that our past has shaped us and built us for the present. The support and love we鈥檝e received from our 糖心Vlog family has sustained us and for each of you, we give thanks. Many blessings as our journeys continue!鈥�