Ten days of appreciation celebration was quite the sensation

George Kurtyka, Protective Services, Yale New Haven Hospital, treated himself to ice cream in the Saint Raphael Campus cafeteria. Employees received meal vouchers for meal bundles or tasty treats in the hospital cafeterias; employees in ambulatory locations received snack boxes.

Ashly Thatcher, RN, patient care nurse manager of Lawrence + Memorial’s Neuroscience unit, sent this picture with the message: “So many people from different units and teams come together to share in patient care. Couldn’t do it without them!”

All that fabulous food employees enjoyed during the 10 Days of Gratitude? Food and Nutrition staff like Jeff Simuel and Azeb Tesfaselassie at YNHH worked extra hard to put it all together and serve it with a smile.

From systemwide events to personal gestures between coworkers, gratitude took many different forms during the 10 Days – like this gift basket Greenwich Hospital’s Pediatrics department gave their colleagues in Labor and Delivery.

Volunteering in our communities was an important part of the 10 Days of Gratitude. Staff with Yale New Haven Health’s Office of Strategy Management cooked a meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House while their children were hospitalized.

Once again, Volunteer Services and YNHHS’ Employee Health and Safety and Wellbeing teams went above and beyond to make the 10 Days special, with music, pet therapy, webinars and tip sheets, Reiki and more. The Yale Mariachi Band was one of many performers who entertained staff and visitors at YNHH.

The blessing of the hands is a popular tradition at all delivery networks, including Greenwich Hospital. The hospital kicked off the 10 Days of Gratitude with a special ceremony in the garden.

YNHHS’ Employee and Family Resources (EFR) and Employee Wellbeing staffed information tables throughout May, which was Mental Health Awareness Month. In support of the 10 Days of Gratitude, they also held a book swap as reading is a simple and effective form of self-care that can reduce stress, improve focus and boost a person’s mood.