It's December 23 and things are beginning to quiet down around the medical center. I just completed a walk through. Just like any other day, doctors and nurses are working to get people well enough to go home. Just before Christmas, however, this effort is even more important. Hospitals are, of course, not the place you ever want to be, especially on the big holiday.
There were a couple of babies up in OB; one due on Christmas apparently decided having a birthday on Christmas may not be fun and so decided today was the day! Lots of smiles all around from Mom, Dad, and it looked like very proud grandparents. Surgery was quiet, the ICU and inpatient floors are also a little less busy... I dare say even the ER was "relaxed." (We never use the 'quiet' word in the ER because as soon as you do, it gets crazy busy!)
Of course, hospitals never close! Every day of every year, we're here, ready for whatever life throws at people. Dedicated team members working for hospitals take their turn working when most folks are home with their families on each and every holiday. It is mostly the direct caregivers and those that support the care here on the holidays. It's our nurses and patient techs, the doctors, the folks in dietary, lab, radiology, surgery, respiratory therapy, admitting, and those that keep the place clean and the building functioning properly. These are the committed men and women who make a difference in the lives of those unfortunate to need the care of a hospital on these special days. We try our best to recognize this is a necessary sacrifice; so we have a holiday meal for everyone working at GRMC on Christmas. We pay folks a little more and we say, "Thanks!"
Indeed, thank you to each of the very special people that come in to work the holidays so the community may be well served no matter what day it happens to be when illness or injury strikes.
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