Barton County Memorial Hospital celebrated National Hospital Week May 12-18. Every year, National Hospital Week provides an opportunity for the hospital to focus on showing appreciation for all of its employees who are committed to providing the highest quality of healthcare services. The week was filled with special treats of all sorts.   The Barton County Auxiliary held a Tea for all employees, with afternoon treats of Good Samaritan Brownie  Sundaes served on Tuesday, Waffle Wednesday was amazing and AOK Corral Chow on Thursday with a BCMH Employee Appreciation Cook-Out finale on Friday that had a themed dessert contest.
Employees were divided into 5 “teams” that mixed up departments for various events to inspire team building and camaraderie. This year the “friendly competition” was a Wii Tournament that covered bowling, tennis, and dance. However, the highlight was the ongoing challenge from Monday-Friday to bring in specific items for local organizations. Team captains strategized to inspire their teams for healthy competition.  The teams “competed” to see who could bring the most donations as measured by each item.
Based on the hospital’s bee mascot, this year’s theme was “Bee a Helping Hand, Bee an Inspiration, Bee a Change.” Each day a different organization was selected and a list of items that organization had requested was given by the employees.  Employees donated items for Nathan’s Place, Good Samaritan, the Back-to-School Program, AOK, and Backpack Snack Attack.  A total of 1213 items were collected and distributed to these programs. The hospital was buzzing with activity and Above and Bee-yond attitudes creating a positive work environment and enhancing positive patient-centered care.