3 Wishes Program for End-of-Life Care
Compassionate Care at the End of Life
Compassionate, patient-centered care to those nearing the end of life in the Critical Care Medicine Unit, the University Hospital medical intensive care unit.
3 Wishes Program at University of Michigan Health
The 3 Wishes Program at University of Michigan Health brings compassionate, patient-centered care to those nearing the end of life in the Critical Care Medicine Unit, the University Hospital medical intensive care unit.
Through heartfelt collaboration, patients and their families are invited to share meaningful wishes—big or small—that can be fulfilled as part of their care journey. Whether organizing special celebrations or creating lasting legacies through personal keepsakes, the 3 Wishes Program honors each individual's story, providing comfort and connection during life’s most challenging moments.
More Information
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The 3 Wishes program has been such a blessing to our unit. It has allowed us the ability to provide small tokens of love and remembrance for our patients' families. In times of pain and sorrow that small act means so much. From a heartbeat bottle to a stuffed animal with the patient’s heartbeat recorded in it, a birthday celebration or even a wedding on the unit, all were made possible by 3 Wishes. It’s such a beautiful gift.
A Multidisciplinary Partnership
This program thrives thanks to a multidisciplinary partnership, including Volunteer Services, Bedside Art and Bedside Music, the Office of Patient Experience, the Office of Decedent Affairs, and many others. We are grateful for the donations we have received from our Ann Arbor community and for the support of the Michigan Medicine Friends Gift Shop.
The 3 Wishes Program would not exist without the pioneering work of Dr. Deborah Cook and her team at McMaster University Medical Centre, Ontario, CA and Dr. Thanh Neville and her team at UCLA Health in California, whose vision and dedication inspire and support its ongoing mission.
More About the 3 Wishes Program
The 3 Wishes Program is an internationally recognized palliative care initiative dedicated to honoring patients in their final moments in the intensive care unit. By fulfilling personalized wishes, the program creates meaningful memories for families and nurtures a culture of patient- and family-centered care among ICU clinicians.
