Today is the kick-off to National Hospital Week and I want to take this opportunity to thank our caregivers! More than 100 years ago, the first National Hospital Day was established by U.S. President Warren G. Harding in response to the outbreak of the Spanish flu in 1918. More than a century later, the essential role caregivers play in our community has never been more appreciated.
This year’s Hospital Week theme is, “We Are Health Care,” and it speaks to how important each of our caregivers are in ensuring our patients receive the care they need. Whether working on the front lines directly with patients or are steadfastly working behind-the-scenes, each of our caregivers makes a difference in the lives of our neighbors and all those in need.
Caregivers have remained a steady source of strength and courage for our community members throughout a pandemic that has changed our lives. As former game show host Peter Marshall once said, “When we long for life without difficulty, remind us that oaks grow strong under contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” From rising with the sun to ensure our hospitals are meticulously clean to responding with grace and flexibility to surges of COVID-19 patients, the challenges of the past two years have contributed to the strong, compassionate individuals our caregivers are today.
As our regional chief executive Laureen Driscoll shared last week, our celebrations during this time are designed to thank and honor our caregivers. As a small token of our appreciation for their service, each caregiver will receive a gift of a Providence-branded backpack this week. Our hope is that this gift will inspire our caregivers to take time away from the hospital and enjoy the great outdoors!
I am experiencing first-hand how beautiful Spring in Sonoma County truly is and I can’t wait to further explore more of the beautiful trails at Annadel State Park. During this season of renewal, I cannot help but be optimistic for the future. For example, we are excited to be able to safely and responsibly host more in-person gatherings this Hospital Week. We have a full list of the activities planned to honor our caregivers (Caregivers, please visit our intranet for details about both Hospital Week and Nurses Week).
I will be visiting departments during both day and night shifts this week to thank caregivers in person and I look forward to celebrating them this week!
Sincerely,
Chuck Kassis
Chief Executive
Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital
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