I tried all week to write this as Hospital Week activities were happening in my first week as CEO of Herington Municipal Hospital and somehow the week got away from me. So here I am on Monday of my second week and I want to share the following thoughts.
First of all, thank you to our team here at HMH for helping me feel so welcome in my first week. Thank you for the planning and enacting the events of hospital week. From the themed days to the fun games to the food, food, food…the week was wonderfully festive and the celebration lifted the spirits of our staff. I do want to “call out” by name a few people who went above and beyond to make the week a success…
Mary Schroeder, Radiology
Melissa Arnold, HIM
Adriane Richard, HIM
Kayla LaToush, HR
Chrysta Lavery, Food Service
Donna Hanson, Food Service
Karen Wendlandt, Food Service
Gail Carlson, Nursing
I also want to send out three cheers to all the departments who participated in the spirit activities. I loved it…Thank you all…Isabel
As Hospital Week celebrations are now in the memory book I do want to share these thoughts…
I’ve been a nurse for 34 years and have worked in nursing for 40. Each year as nurses’ week and hospital week presents it’s a great reminder to me of what brought me into nursing and healthcare in the first place. I truly believe that nursing is a calling and I know my healthcare colleagues in other specialties would probably agree. What celebrating our professions reminds me of each year is what an honor it is to serve others and how special the relationship between care giver and patient. I am humbled by that relationship and truly recognize and respect that patients come to us in their times of need and often at their lowest points from a health perspective. They are vulnerable and generally are ill or in discomfort and they are at our mercy to provide compassion, healing and tender, loving care. Even during joyous events such as the birth of a child our patients are dependent on us to be attentive, skilled and confident in their care. I am humbled and honored to be a member of the most trusted profession. I am also honored to work with other specialties in healthcare and want to celebrate the work and efforts that as a team we provide…Happy Nurse’s Day and Happy Hospital Week!!!!
Warm regards, Isabel Schmedemann, CEO, Herington Municipal Hospital