UP Health System – Marquette Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Danielle Sandstrom Honored with Julianne Kirkham Award

Danielle Sandstrom, NP, is pictured with leadership during the Julianne Kirkham Award presentation at UP Health System – Marquette. From left to right: Jennifer Rhodes-Bingham, patient experience director; Peter Camilli, regional vice president, Medical Group Practices; Tonya Darner, market chief executive officer of UP Health System – Marquette and UP Health System – Bell; Danielle Sandstrom, NP; Lisa Long, MD, chief medical officer; Meg McConnell, chief nursing officer; Julie Nordberg, executive director of nursing; and Polly Hockberger, vice president of operations.

Danielle Sandstrom, NP, a palliative care nurse practitioner at UP Health System – Marquette, has been chosen as the latest recipient of the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award. This award at UP Health System – Marquette (UPHS – Marquette) recognizes exemplary employees of the support and ancillary departments of the hospital who clearly see and act on their purpose in supporting the care of our patients and community.

Danielle has been a nurse and palliative care nurse practitioner at UPHS – Marquette for six years, beginning her palliative care work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliative care is typically provided by an interdisciplinary team that may include a physician, advanced practice provider, nurse, chaplain and social worker. While Danielle has physician support, she has often worked largely on her own while striving to provide the comprehensive, team-based support patients and families need.

Her work extends beyond patients and their loved ones. Danielle also provides support and guidance to care teams, particularly nurses who may witness firsthand the distress and suffering that can accompany serious illness.

One recent example involved an older adult with metastatic lung cancer and new brain metastases who was admitted to the hospital with breathing difficulties. The patient was clear about his wishes: He wanted to return home and die peacefully.

During the first week of his hospitalization, the care team worked to stabilize him with the hope that he might be able to receive additional cancer-directed treatment. His family remained focused on that possibility. On the eighth day of his admission, Danielle was consulted.

Danielle took the time to listen closely to the patient and understand what mattered most to him. She helped the medical team and family recognize that the current approach was not working as hoped and was no longer aligned with the patient's wishes. She also helped educate the medical resident involved in his care, emphasizing that his time was likely short and that the focus should shift toward helping him return home with hospice.

Danielle advocated for clear, consistent communication among the care team and family to minimize confusion and continued to advocate for the patient's wishes. As a result, the patient was able to return home with hospice care, where he wanted to be, for whatever time he had remaining — on his terms and with a sense of control.

Palliative care can be difficult work. While much of health care is focused on treating illness and pursuing therapies, those treatments do not always provide the desired outcome or align with what a patient wants. Palliative care helps patients and families navigate these difficult moments by focusing on comfort, symptom management, quality of life and the goals that matter most to the patient.

Danielle works to bring patients, families and health care teams together, helping everyone understand and honor the patient's wishes. She also provides education and advocates for a palliative-minded approach to care throughout the hospital.

Her dedication and compassion have made a lasting impact on the patients, families and colleagues she serves. Those who work alongside Danielle can share countless stories of the ways she has supported a patient, comforted a family or helped a care team navigate one of the most difficult moments in medicine.

Through her tireless advocacy, compassionate care and commitment to helping others, Danielle exemplifies the purpose of the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award.

About the Dr. Julianne Kirkham Award

Named in honor of Dr. Julianne Kirkham, this award pays tribute to those who, just as Dr. Kirkham did, believe that our own lives become better as we help others' lives become better. Every individual patient mattered to Dr. Kirkham, and she touched countless lives throughout her career. She was a true educator to patients, families and fellow medical colleagues. She was intellectually curious and had a deep love for helping others. Her warmth, knowledgeable compassion, sense of justice and fierce advocacy for her patients during their darkest times gave them hope and direction. Her sense of humor was brilliant, helping to put her patients at ease. Dr. Kirkham lived her life with a greater purpose to help others.

Sadly, Dr. Kirkham passed away unexpectedly in 2020. She was courageous, generous and inspiring, with an unrelenting desire to create a ripple effect of positive change in the people and the world around us. In honor of Dr. Kirkham's memory, UP Health System – Marquette created this award to recognize those who follow in her footsteps.

Recipients of this award are chosen by a hospital committee on a quarterly basis based on nominations submitted by staff.