Dignity Health | Be well | Spring 2018

HELLO HUMANKINDNESS! Every day, the employees, doctors, and volunteers at our three Dignity Health North State hospitals practice acts of humankindness—usually when no one is looking and without expect- ing anything in return. Some of these acts are small. A nurse might hold the hand of an anxious patient. A volunteer might approach a visitor who seems lost and offer to help. Other acts are so generous they might take your breath away. No matter the size, every act of kindness is important. That’s why for the second year in a row, Dignity Health set aside the third week of October as Acts of Humankindness Week. It’s a special opportunity to celebrate acts of kindness that make all our lives better. As part of this celebration, we honored more than 250 employees, doctors, and volunteers who went out of their way last year to show kindness. All were nominated by their peers. We wish we could share all their stories, but here are just a few that touched us. We hope their example will inspire you to spread a little kindness yourself. Watching out for a four-legged friend If you’ve ever loved a pet, you’ll be especially touched by one nurse’s act of kindness. A woman was rushed to the St. Elizabeth Community Hospital (SECH) emergency room after a multiple-vehicle car crash. Jean Bunt, RN, noticed that the patient’s dog—also hurt in the accident— wasn’t doing well. While the trauma team tended to the woman, Bunt found a vet who agreed to treat the dog. And police transported the injured animal. Later in the intensive care unit, the woman learned that her dog had survived. She was thrilled. “When I hear stories like Jean’s, I’m reminded of just how often our employees go beyond their regular duties to see that our patients are cared for,” says Denise Little, Hu- man Resources Director at SECH. “Whenever they see a need, they jump and rally the resources that are required.” Making a priceless memory Because of another nurse’s compas- sion, a young boy was able to cel- ebrate his birthday with his mother, a cancer patient close to death. Adina Henderson, RN, an oncology nurse at Mercy Medical Center Redding (MMCR), helped arrange a birthday party—complete with presents and cupcakes—for the little boy with his two brothers. She also made sure that a family tradition continued. This mom had always made birthday T-shirts for her children. So Henderson set up a craft project at the party for all three boys to make special T-shirts. “Adina gave three children—and their mother—such a priceless gift,” says Christy Brock, Human Re- sources Consultant at MMCR. “And her kindness is a powerful reminder of the difference all of us can make in people’s lives.” Taking a stand against human trafficking As a social worker at Mercy Hospice Mt. Shasta, Hannah Helms shows kindness every day, helping people navigate their last days or the loss of a loved one. She is also part of an effort by Dignity Health to help victims of human trafficking. (See page 14.) Acelebrationof humankindness TUNE IN TO KINDNESS Brighten your day with playlists that bring us together. hellohumankindness.org/sessions Adina Henderson, RN 6