Approximately 600 messages of gratitude, support and appreciation from patients and their relatives utilizes roughly 90 feet of wall space, creating a visual testament to GBMC clinical staff and volunteer’s dedication, sacrifice and skill serving patients and members of the community.
Over the last several weeks, patients, visitors, volunteers and staff have filled the gratitude walls with heartfelt thoughts of appreciation and thanks. The messages on the walls were profound and reflective of the very different specialties across GBMC HealthCare sites.
“I really appreciate hearing how grateful our patients are for the work that we do. We sometimes don’t know until after their hospital visit how much of a difference we have made in your journey to health, “says Pearl Charner, BSN, RN, with the Med/Surge Unit at GBMC. “It means the world to me to read all of these heartfelt messages. Nothing means more to me than to hear that our caring has made a difference. I love the work that I do and hearing how much it is appreciated. It uplifts me and gives me the strength to keep going.”
GBMC’s marketing and communications team has been collecting the close to 600 expressions of thanks from patients and members of the community for healthcare workers who have made a difference for them. The marketing team came up with the idea for the Wall of Gratitude, as a place where the community shares words of encouragement, appreciation and thanks for the care and compassion they experienced at GBMC, GBMC HealthPartners or Gilchrist.
“I have been reviewing a few of the submissions which serve as a bright spot for healthcare workers on the front lines battling the pandemic,” says John B. Chessare, MD, MPH, president and CEO of the GBMC HealthCare system. “This is truly a beautiful reminder to our employees, volunteers and clinical staff about the important work they do serving our patients and the community.”
The marketing and communications team plans to regularly update the messages when new ones arrive to keep the wall fresh thanks to having plenty of appreciation notes from patients to choose from. Grateful patients, their families, and members of the community who would like to submit and read messages can do so by visiting https://www.gbmc.org/messages-of-gratitude
“Gratitude that comes from patients and the community is powerful. It shows that the work we do every day is making an impact, and is not only noted, but appreciated,” added Kristin Trawinski, MSN, RN, GBMC NICU Nurse Manager.
