After 15 years of service to Our Lady of Peace, Dr. Dennis Cross is retiring. We are grateful for the loving care he has given to countless patients and families.
Dr. Cross has always led with empathy, something he describes as an outcome of human kindness. “The number one tool for a hospice doctor is not in their bag,” he says. “It’s empathy, and it occurs when you take the time to move past assumption to sincerely understanding how a person is feeling. People know when you are empathetic, and it’s important in hospice. It’s also important in every-day life.”
Last year, Dr. Cross told the Star Tribune that hospice care is his “most meaningful work.” He considers the families of dying people to be his patients as well. “Everything comes up when a loved one is dying, the beautiful connections and the family discord. I’ve learned that people pass away and die how they lived.”
Grief is expressed in many ways; some people are quiet, and some are vocal, but at the end of life, everyone wants the same things; respect, empathy, and honesty. Dr. Cross says, “I have learned the power of silence and the power of being present to just sit with a family in their grief.”
Dr. Cross, we are grateful for your kind and loving care to OLP patients and families, and we wish you a very happy retirement!