Holiday meals and gifts bring cheer

This is a week for holiday cheer at USA Health, as more than 4,200 employees will receive a special meal and a holiday gift as a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

On Monday, department managers picked up and distributed about 3,440 boxed lunches that contained a sandwich or wrap, chips, cookies and a candy cane. Another 930 lunches will go to remaining sites Friday, when the holiday gifts are expected to arrive.

“I think it helps to motivate employees,” said Onesmus Too, a nurse anesthetist at University Hospital, as he unpacked his holiday meal at the café Monday. “This lets employees know someone is thinking of them and appreciates what we do, especially during the time of COVID-19.”

Funding for this year’s holiday lunches was provided by Louis and Melinda Mapp, who continued the community tradition of showing support for healthcare heroes.

“Our goal is to thank all employees for their hard work during these challenging times,” said Owen Bailey, MHA, FACHE, chief executive officer for USA Health. “Our friends in the community, like Louis and Melinda, continually have shown their support for our healthcare team. We cannot thank them enough for their generosity.”

Meanwhile, department managers will distribute holiday gifts on Friday, assuming that shipping goes as expected.

“This has been an extraordinary year in healthcare,” said John Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., USA vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. “The response from our staff within USA Health has matched the circumstances. This is a small way to demonstrate our appreciation.”

The special meal and holiday gift are the latest in a series of employee appreciation events for USA Health staff. Since September, employees at 21 sites have been treated to pizza, breakfast goodies and snacks, and have received new USA Health badge reels.