VA Portland Program Ensures that ‘No Veteran Dies Alone’

For Close, volunteering has always been a part of her being. But her participation in the VA Portland Health Care System’s “No Veteran Dies Alone” program is her way of remembering her late husband, who died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 53.

“I feel this is the main reason that I am so drawn to and dedicated to No Veteran Dies Alone,” Close says. “He is (buried) at Willamette Cemetery, where I will join him in time,” she adds.

Born and raised on a 64,000 acre ranch in southeast Montana—land which was homesteaded by her paternal grandfather who emigrated to the US from Scotland, Close was always raised to help anyone in a military uniform. Their family would stop and pick up military folks hitching a ride somewhere.

Close’s support of Veterans runs through her entire life, and at VA Portland, that support runs the gamut.

She has participated in bingo games at the CLC, ice cream socials, and even dressed up as a jellyfish on Valentine’s Day, going from room to room passing out Valentine’s cards and cookies to Veterans.

“Each experience is different, and not everyone can do it, but it is so rewarding and heartfelt for me,” she says.

Chaplain Greg Widmer, who serves as the primary program coordinator for both the Portland and Vancouver VA campuses, said it takes many volunteers and staff members to ensure the program is a success.

“At the heart of NVDA is a committed group of volunteers who give of their time to be with patients who are actively dying,” Widmer says.

The No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA) program emerged from the compassion and dedication of IESD bedside nurses, who were committed to enhancing end-of-life care during those precious final moments. Back in 2013, Registered Nurse, Amanda Williamson led the charge to establish NVDA, with key support from fellow RNs Molly Archer and Michelle Rhoney, and other key leaders from CDCE, along with Denise Denniston, who at the time was serving as a Palliative Care Chaplain Fellow.

Denniston, who is now the Chief of Chaplain Services at VA Portland, said Amanda's dedication and leadership were pivotal in helping CDCE and Chaplain Service establish the program, and remained committed to partnering with Chaplain Service for the training of volunteers to become NVDA volunteers until 2025.

Denniston contributed to forming the education curriculum to train NVDA volunteers during her Palliative Care Fellowship program in 2013-2014. After leaving the VA at the end of her fellowship, she returned as a staff chaplain and was later appointed as the Chief of Chaplain Service in 2021, where she watched Widmer and others build the professional program that NVDA is today.

“The No Veteran Dies Alone program would not exist without the commitment of countless nurses who recognized and responded to a need back in 2013,” Denniston said.

The program continues to thrive due to the collaboration between CDCE and the Chaplain Service, she continued.

“We know that at the heart of NVDA are our volunteers like Bea, who have a genuine compassion for ensuring that our Veterans are not alone in their final moments,” Denniston said. “NVDA supports not only the Veteran but also the Veteran’s family, as over the years there have been countless families grateful that their loved one had another caring person to be with them when they could not.”

Denniston has also heard from nursing staff that they are grateful when NVDA volunteers are present, as they too want to make sure the Veteran they are caring for in those final moments has someone fully present with them, as they care for all their patients.

Widmer, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., and his colleague, Chaplain Andrew Weygandt, a California native now living in Oregon, serve as the primary point of contact for volunteers in Portland. They meet with every volunteer to ensure they are a good fit.

“Being present with another human being is so powerful and an act of love,” Widmer says.  “Often the patient is far along enough in the dying process that they are nonverbal.  Practically this means that most of the time volunteers are sitting quietly next to the patient just being present.”

Volunteer Bea Close agrees wholeheartedly.

“I am very hands-on,” she says. “When I am sitting at the bedside of a Veteran, I am either holding their hand or touching their arm—so they are reassured they are not alone.”

Volunteers and participants report that the benefits flow in both directions. Weygandt related a personal story which touched him deeply. He recalls spending time with a Veteran who was in the ICU when his condition worsened, and his family members were not able to make it to the hospital in time.

“I went to the room and held this Veteran’s hand for a few minutes and spoke to him,” Weygandt said. “He didn’t seem to respond until I went to leave, then, he squeezed my hand hard and reached out if I took it away. A nurse helped me get a chair, and I sat at the bedside holding hands with him for the next 30 minutes.”

A respiratory therapist began advising the Veteran on the steps they would be taking—including removing the ventilator. Weygandt held the Veteran’s hand through the entire process.

“His grip was strong for a while,” Weygandt said. “I spoke when I had something to say, but generally, I stayed quiet. Ten minutes later, his grip loosened and never came back.”

After a nurse thanked Weygandt for staying with the Veteran, he walked out into the hallway where he was overcome with emotions.

Weygandt said later on that night, he took some time for his own self-care.

“I didn’t really know this man,” Weygandt said. “All he did was reach out for my hand, but this simple act touched me—touched my heart.”

Close said her time with Veterans as they prepare to leave this lifetime is all part of the journey—both theirs and hers. Bea has admitted to sitting beside one Veteran for up to 13 hours before he passed away.

“I am just with them for this part of their life,” she says. “I do feel they are going to a good place and are free from pain and worry.”

For Weygandt, the time before one leaves this life on Earth is a time for reflection and gratitude.

“It certainly can be sad, but there is also a sense of sacredness. Time is so precious as a person nears death,” he says. “There’s not a whole lot left to “do”, and so there tends to be more time for stillness and reflection. I try to be intentional about the energy I bring into the stillness of that room.”

“When sadness comes up, I try to regulate my internal experience in the room but then give myself an outlet later in the day,” Weygandt continues. “Lighting a candle, journaling, going on a bike ride, saying a prayer, or just hugging a loved one extra tight.”

The VA Portland Health Care System’s Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) has many opportunities to volunteer. NVDA is always looking for more interested volunteers to join in this beautiful work. If you would like to learn more about the program, reach out to Chaplain Service or the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (formerly Volunteer Services) in order to get started.