Honoring UMMC’s dedicated legacy-makers

Every year, in May, June, and July, we say many goodbyes and many hellos. We say goodbye to students, residents, faculty and staff who leave to begin a new chapter in their lives. And we say hello to new students, residents, faculty and staff who are joining us. There is a lot of coming and going this time of year. For everyone – including those of us who lose someone we’ve been alongside for a while or those who are welcoming someone new into their work or learning environment – there is a sense of the beginning of something new. (Coincidentally, my own “hello” began 30 years ago next week when I officially joined UMMC’s ranks as a resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Time flies when you’re having fun.) 

The goodbye is especially bittersweet when it is given to those among us who have dedicated such a significant piece of their lives to the Medical Center. It’s that group, the UMMC retirees, that I’d like to focus on today. First of all, it is a bit like herding cats to be sure we have a comprehensive list each June when we recognize and celebrate those who are retiring. While many select June 30 as a retirement date, there are some who retire at points throughout the academic year. If anyone is left off of this list – please let me know. The intent is to note and celebrate ALL of our retirees who have served a minimum of 25 continuous years on the faculty or staff.

This year we have 51 faculty and staff retiring with a total of 1,425 years (!) of service to the Medical Center. Each retiree will receive tangible evidence of our appreciation: a gold and silver watch imprinted with the UMMC logo and a card signed by me thanking them for their dedicated service to our institution. To me, while a watch is a very nice gift, it is but a token. There is nothing that can truly capture what it means to have dedicated 25 or more years to UMMC. I love the history and the stories of this place. If you have spent a quarter of a century here, you are certainly a part of the Medical Center’s history and its many stories. Every day, each employee contributes to the mission and purpose of this institution. Those we honor in retirement have made exceptional contributions through their loyalty, their dedication and their willingness to do their jobs as though the Medical Center depended on them – as in truth, it did. An organization is nothing more than the people who  comprise it.  

Please join me in honoring and celebrating:

I want to express my deepest gratitude to those listed here. Best wishes for a retirement spent with people you love doing things that make you happy. I know all of you join me in wishing these special people the very best as they leave us for new adventures. As Fred (Mister) Rogers said, "Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else." We all have choices about where we work, where we go to school and what we do with our lives. I am thankful you chose to be part of the UMMC family. I am thankful for your contributions to the Medical Center. You have made us better on our journey to A Healthier Mississippi.