St. Bernards Medical Center has a number of events and activities planned during National Hospital Week, May 9-13.
The national observance was begun in 1921 and is a time when hospitals recognize their staff and volunteers. The special week was an outgrowth of a magazine editor thinking that the public should have more information about hospitals … because at that time few people had a broad understanding of what hospitals did and how they cared for the ill.
Since that time, National Hospital Week has grown into the nation’s largest healthcare event.
“National Hospital Week, first and foremost, is a celebration of people,” says Michael Givens, administrator St. Bernards Medical Center. “At St. Bernards, we traditionally designate each day of the week as a ‘special’ day, with all activities directed toward acknowledging the role played by those on our staff … both clinical and ancillary … as we care for our patients.”
St. Bernards activities will include the following:
· Monday – Sundae Monday – Employees can stop by the Dietary Conference Room at designated times during each shift to create their own sundaes.
· Tuesday – Community Day – Employees bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items to be donated to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas. Last year medical center workers donated more than 2,500 cans of food to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas.
· Wednesday – Rooftop cookout – Employees will go to the rooftop of the parking garage for hamburgers and hot dogs at lunch. (Those second and third shifts will be served at an alternate location.) All will have opportunity to register for door prizes.
· Thursday – Administrative Appreciation Day – Members of the administrative staff will work in a variety of ancillary areas – environmental services, nutrition services, engineering and more.
· Friday – Auxiliary Appreciation Tea – Employees will be treated to a wide variety of homemade desserts – items made by members of the St. Bernards Auxiliary.
St. Bernards is a 438-bed not-for-profit acute care hospital which serves as a referral medical center for residents in 23 counties in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. For more than 100 years St. Bernards has served the heathcare needs of those in communities throughout the region.