March 11, 2021
Joy’s Blog: Feeling Proud
The word proud is not one that I throw around on a regular basis. It is special and reserved for meaningful circumstances in my mind. According to the Oxford dictionary, the word proud is a “feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one’s achievements, qualities or possessions or those of someone with who one is closely associated.” This definition resonates with me because it’s exactly how I feel about my children for the young adults they are becoming and my spouse for being a hard-working business owner and giving back to the community in so many ways.
I am proud of how we showed up each and every day during the past year. We surprised ourselves in many ways, truly working as a health system to serve our region.
When I think of the word proud, I also think of us, the nearly 13,000 employees that make up CentraCare and Carris Health. I am proud of how we showed up each and every day during the past year. We surprised ourselves in many ways, truly working as a health system to serve our region. We surprised ourselves by developing innovative new ways to provide care with only a couple of weeks of planning. While none of this was easy, we accomplished things that prior to the pandemic would have taken months or years.
I am proud of how we have reached underserved populations early in the pandemic to provide education about COVID-19 and how we’re now bringing vaccines to vulnerable populations. I am proud of how flexible everybody has been; working from home as able, working in different departments or in different roles – all in an effort to serve others and to put others before our own needs. I am proud of how deeply our patient care staff cared for patients and families during the pandemic; you helped them feel safe, well-cared for and connected despite unimaginable circumstances. Finally, I am proud of how you supported and continue to support one another. I have witnessed team members praying together, asking genuinely, “are you ok?”, sending one another to break when it’s needed, and working additional shifts knowing their team members were overwhelmed with work.
After 26 years of being committed to CentraCare, I have never been more proud of how we responded during the pandemic, how we are serving those who need us now and finally who we have become throughout the past year. You make me proud each and every day and this is something I will throw around any chance I get. Thank you!