Physicians serve as dedicated members of their communities, taking care of vulnerable patients and working to keep people healthy.
Hospitals and health systems across the country will take time to honor and recognize this work as part of National Doctors' Day, scheduled for March 30. First observed in 1933 in Georgia, Doctors' Day initially included sending out greeting cards and putting flowers on graves of deceased physicians, according to a National Doctors' Day website. The U.S. established a national Doctors' Day in the early 1990s, and hospitals and health systems have long conducted their own celebrations.
Here is how a number of hospitals and health systems are celebrating this year.
UCHealth
Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth is celebrating similarly to the one-year anniversary campaign of its new brand. The system launched a new brand Feb. 1, 2017, with a focus on patient experience and innovation. As UCHealth celebrated the one-year anniversary of the launch, it came across video platform Cinebody, which allows cell phones to generate videos and submit them instantaneously for editing. UCHealth had 13 employees make videos with this technology, sharing why they entered healthcare and why it's important to work for a patient-centric organization, says Manny Rodriguez, chief marketing and experience officer for UCHealth.
Rather than do a cake and newspaper ad to celebrate National Doctors' Day this year, the system decided to again use Cinebody. Physicians used the technology to create videos where they discuss why they love to be physicians and are happy with their career choice — in their own words and without a script.
"We're getting what we hoped we'd get which is a lot of passion and emotion in the stories they're sharing," Mr. Rodriguez says.
UCHealth plans to put the video footage on its website and highlight it in the system newsletter.
Examples of videos can be seen here and here.
NYC Health + Hospitals
New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals celebrates as a system, in addition to individual celebrations at facilities. The organization honors 25 physicians "from diverse disciplines and practices, who represent the thousands of other highly skilled and mission-driven physicians across our broad system," spokesperson Jennifer Bender said via email. She said the honorees, nominated by their colleagues, are recognized for exceptional performance in providing quality care, patient safety, clinical education, research, teamwork or leadership. The 2018 celebration of physicians is scheduled for April 26 at Baruch College in New York City. NYC Health + Hospitals also features the honorees internally among staff via the intranet and newsletter and externally through a news release, on the system website and on the system's social media platforms.
"Doctors' Day gives our health system another opportunity to celebrate and honor our physicians, who have dedicated their careers to advance the public health system's mission and who help keep our communities healthy," Machelle Allen, MD, CMO of NYC Health + Hospitals, said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "Our patients entrust our doctors with their well-being, even their lives — and with good reason."
Dignity Health
San Francisco-based Dignity Health's Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, also in San Francisco, and Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Calif., choose a Physician of the Year based on input from colleagues. Honorees are recognized "for extraordinary patient care and human kindness," says Todd Strumwasser, MD, Dignity Health's senior vice president of operations for the San Francisco Bay Area and an anesthesiologist. Each individual hospital also does smaller recognitions such as a celebratory meal.
Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Calif., honors medical staff by donating in their name to an organization in the community, according to Nanette Mickiewicz, MD, the hospital's president. In 2018, this was a $10,000 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. "The food bank and Dominican Hospital share a similar vision — to serve the most vulnerable in our community. We are grateful for our medical staff's dedication to this community, and pleased to acknowledge the physicians in this way," Dr. Mickiewicz said in a statement.
Dr. Strumwasser expressed similar sentiments.
"We want to make sure they understand we appreciate the sacrifices they've made in their lives and continue to make on behalf of our communities," he told Becker's Hospital Review. "I think it's an important time to do that, to let them know how we as a healthcare delivery system need them and will succeed at keeping our patients and our communities healthier because of their work."
Advocate Health Care
As part of various promotions and celebrations, Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care is highlighting who or what inspired physicians to enter their profession. The health system is posting stories — in physicians' own words — on health enews, Advocate's daily health and wellness newsletter/website. The system is also promoting the stories internally and on social media.
Examples may be found here, here and here.
"Our physicians dedicate themselves every single day to providing the safest and highest quality of care," said Lee Sacks, MD, CMO of Advocate Health Care, in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "It is our honor to offer a platform for them to shine a spotlight on the people and experiences that inspired their interest in medicine and motivated them to pursue this noble calling."
More articles on leadership:
Meet Todd Combs: The man who spearheaded the Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Hathaway partnership behind the scenes
9 universities that graduate the most top CEOs
You don’t know what you don’t know