May 21 Update from CEO Lynn Ricci Regarding COVID-19/Coronavirus
May 21, 2020
This Memorial Day there will be no parades, no graduation ceremonies. We will not come together in large groups of family and friends for picnics or pool parties. Instead we will acknowledge this holiday in new ways.
We will spend a quiet moment in our favorite park, or on our preferred walking path, or by a babbling brook, to reflect on the individuals who have given their life in service to our country. This year perhaps, we will include the more than 90,000 individuals across the United States who succumbed to COVID-19 in our thoughts. Perhaps we will take an extra moment of silence to honor the healthcare and other essential workers who have risked their lives to keep others safe over the past few months. I know I will.
And I will also celebrate. I will celebrate every patient who has recovered and gone home to their families following COVID-19 or any one of a dozen complex medical challenges that bring patients to our care. I will celebrate our nightingales – the nurses who with exemplary skill and caring hearts – achieve extraordinary patient outcomes every day, including our Nightingale Award recipients:
Alyssa Testa Hammond, BSN, RN
Nurse, COU
Alyssa was awarded the Nightingale Award because of her outstanding teamwork, commitment to excellence in patient care and eagerness to embrace new challenges as growth opportunities.
Angel Preece, RN, ADN
Clinical Coordinator, Neuromuscular Center
Angel goes above and beyond to mentor her colleagues, make patient’s feel confident in their care, and volunteer in relevant community and hospital activities.
Lurine Mack, LPN
Nurse, RCU
Lurine is focused on what is best for her patients, organizing mini-huddles, inviting suggestions and sharing knowledge with colleagues. She always is looking for evidence based ways to improve the delivery of care and quality of life of her patients.
I will celebrate the life of a dear colleague, advocate and friend, Elliot Ginsberg. A light lost far too soon, Elliot’s passing last week has taken from us a fiercely capable and profoundly passionate champion. Together with his wife Lorie we will celebrate his legacy, his generous heart, the spark of inspiration he has gifted to each of us and the extraordinary vision he has left behind when we can once more open our doors and welcome you inside.I will celebrate the first small steps on our return to a recognizable world as we begin to exercise our horses in preparation for a happy reunion with their riders at our Manes and Motions Therapeutic Riding Center next month.
I will celebrate the continued progress on our new Autism Inpatient and Partial Hospital Program facility – and what the opening of this facility will mean for children and families further isolated during these challenging times.
I will celebrate the kindness and generosity of each individual who has stitched yet another cloth mask, packaged yet another meal to nourish our staff, and provided essential philanthropic support for our mission.
I will remember. I will honor. I will celebrate. I hope you will too.
I look forward to the time we can safely come together in remembrance and celebration. Until then, cherish each small celebration. Cover your face. Wash your hands. Maintain six feet of social distance. Stay safe and stay well.