Heartfelt Thanks

Amid the operation demands of an academic medical center, it’s easy to get caught up in the sometimes relentless pace of the job. It’s important, though, to take time to reflect on the difference we make in patients’ lives. 

Praise from patients brings us back to the core of what we do: helping others. Heartfelt letters from patients who stop to put their gratitude in writing can be powerful reminders of why we do what we do. 

I’d like to share a few of these messages with you. As you read these kind letters, remember that the care you provide and the kindness you show make a real difference in patients’ lives.  

Before I share the specific notes, I want to remind you of something. I imagine some of you are thinking – “My job is not in direct patient care, so this doesn’t apply to me”. My reminder: Everything we do is “All for Your Health”. Everything every one of us does impacts patient care. All of our research efforts are focused on understanding the basis of disease processes and finding new and better treatments. For all of you who work in non-clinical roles and areas – be it IT services, finance, food service, legal, contracts, facilities, police, cleaning, accounting, education administration, library, lab animal services, fundraising and alumni relations, and on and on – your work supports the hands of those touching the patients and creating a positive experience. Your work is vital to our clinical success. When we receive notes of gratitude, the credit is due to all who wear a UMMC badge. So, thank you! Thank you ALL!  

Tammy Thompson of Meridian brought daughter Josie to Children’s of Mississippi. In severe pain, Josie arrived at the Children’s Emergency Department with peritonitis. A recent feeding tube placement at another hospital had resulted in her stomach separating from her abdominal wall and a massive infection.  

“We were in a scary place when we got to Children’s,” Tammy Thompson said, “but everyone was working so hard to figure out what was going on.” 

From the ED to discharge, she wrote, “we were met with kindness, compassion, help, encouragement and support. Doctors, nurses and techs were not just doing their jobs; they were going above and beyond to help us. When my daughter needed a hand to hold, someone was there.” 

After emergency surgery, “the recovery nurse realized my daughter wanted to hold her hand, and the nurse did so until we could get in there to see her. How precious! When I couldn’t be there, the nurse was a comfort.” 

Gary Allen of Pearl had never been a UMMC patient when he came here with an abscess on the psoas muscle of his back. After the care he received here, the Medical Center will be his hospital of choice, he said.  

In talking with our Office of Patient Experience, Mr. Allen gave high praise to a list of UMMC employees – doctors, nurses, techs, Environmental Services and residents. His room was immaculate, surpassing the standards of other hospitals, and the care and professionalism shown by his entire care team made his experience exceptional. 

Diligence, attention to detail, compassion, attentiveness and genuine care are among the common threads of his stay at the Medical Center.

For Sue Brown of Waynesboro, her stay at UMMC “was as pleasant as a hospital stay could be,” she wrote. “Everyone was super nice and helpful to me.” 

Coming to UMMC with sepsis after a surgery done elsewhere, Mrs. Brown was in intensive care. “Each nurse was so good and helped me in any way possible. You have the most caring and loving people at UMMC ever!” 

“I would recommend your hospital to anyone,” she wrote. “Keep up the good work!” 

Reading this high praise from our patients and their families makes me incredibly proud. While we all strive to do our best, the gratitude of these patients shows that it’s all of us, working together, that create the best experiences. All our team members doing excellent work and showing genuine concern and kindness for our patients and their families adds up to the kind of care we’d want for our own loved ones. 

Appreciation like this encourages us to continue our work with renewed energy and passion as we work toward our shared goal – A Healthier Mississippi.