Hospitals are more than a place where people go to heal, or to receive treatment when sick or injured. Hospitals are often at the very heart of their communities, contributing to the physical, emotional and financial health. During National Hospital Week, Merit Health Natchez celebrates the hundreds of employees who work together 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to ensure quality medical care is available to every person in the Miss-Lou region.

National Hospital Week was established in 1953, and this year it will be celebrated from through Saturday. The dates overlap the celebration of National Nurses Week (May 6 through 12 this year), and were chosen to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday, honoring her role in revolutionizing hospital care in the mid 1800’s. This year’s National Hospital Week theme is ‘Healthcare from the Heart,’ an appropriate tribute to the 5.6 million physicians, nurses, therapists, food service workers, volunteers and many more who care for their neighbors with competence, dedication and compassion.

Merit Health Natchez is proud to serve the Miss-Lou Region with high-quality clinical services that continue to expand year after year. Each year, our hospital touches thousands of lives through inpatient and outpatient care, surgeries, delivery of babies and treatment of patients in our ER.

In addition to celebrating the millions of workers dedicated to patient care in the U.S., National Hospital Week also serves as a reminder that hospitals truly matter in our society and are worth fiercely protecting. From providing treatment and comfort to the sick, to welcoming new life into the world, hospitals are indeed at the heart of healthy and vibrant communities.

This year, Merit Health Natchez is proud to acknowledge and celebrate our employees and other healthcare providers, who tirelessly serve the community and personify the 2016 ‘Healthcare from the Heart’ theme.

 

Eric Robinson

Chief Executive Officer, Merit Health Natchez