Hospitals across Washington State have their own ways of celebrating Thanksgiving each year, with special festivities that make the day and season special. Here are a few of the ways WSHA members celebrate and give thanks:
Navos
Navos hosted its annual holiday dinner for clients on Tuesday, November 21, with staff preparing and serving their clients. The dinner included turkey, mashed potatoes, all the fixings and of course, pumpkin pie, with enough to serve the expected 400 in attendance. For many of their clients, this was their only holiday celebration. There was music at the event as well, and they also distributed free “soap for hope” hygiene kits, hats and gloves.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
At Thanksgiving time, PeaceHealth physicians and caregivers serve up free foot examinations, warm winter boots, wool socks, flu shots, foot care packages, and hygiene kits to close to 400 underserved men, women and children in Whatcom County through the Heart to Soles campaign, now in its tenth year. PeaceHealth partners with Superfeet and other local companies for volunteers and donations of shoes and socks.
Morton General Hospital
Morton General Hospital will provide a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings for their custodial care patients, their families and staff on Thanksgiving Day.
Virginia Mason Memorial
Get ‘em while they’re hot! Yeast-raised rolls, that is, in white and wheat.
Rolls made by the kitchen staff at Virginia Mason Memorial’s Café come out of the kitchen warm, fresh and delicious every day. But when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around, the demand for the already-popular rolls goes way up. The café staff accommodates by baking about 1,800 extra and selling them by the dozen. Signs go up two weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas reminding everyone about the rules of the rolls: “No pre-orders, first-come basis, limit 4 dozen.” They always sell out.
Trios Health
Trios administrators purchased 950 turkeys and 50 vegetarian options to show appreciation for the staff members at two campuses in Kennewick. Some staff members even paid it forward by donating their frozen bird to the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission.
EvergreenHealth
EvergreenHealth was looking for a unique way to honor and celebrate its hard-working staff this Thanksgiving and found that the solution was easy as pie. Shannon deLour, executive chef of the hospital’s very own Café 128, is whipping up her best pie recipes for employees to bring home to enjoy with their friends and families on Turkey Day. Providing specially prepared apple and pumpkin pies is just one way that EvergreenHealth gives thanks to its team of dedicated and compassionate providers and support staff this holiday season.
Kadlec Regional Medical Center
More than 50 Kadlec caregivers are teaming up to provide Thanksgiving for women and children at the local domestic violence shelter in the Tri-Cities. The group makes the special delivery Thanksgiving morning, complete with turkey and all the trimmings. Also, all Kadlec caregivers working on Thanksgiving are provided with a free holiday meal complete with turkey, ham, stuffing and pie! Hospital patients and their caregivers will also be able to partake!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at WSHA!