Holy Cross Health has introduced a program called Healing Heroes that gives patients the opportunity to honor a health care worker and make a donation to the hospital, too.
"With a philanthropic gift, they not only honor exceptional service but also help advance Holy Cross Health's mission of compassionate, patient-centered care," said a press release about the program.
Holy Cross Health is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is a member of Trinity Health.
The system's office of philanthropy and development joined the medical staff's Doctor's Day luncheon in late March as part of its efforts to introduce the program. Several doctors at the luncheon already had been honored by patients. The program has received more than 40 tribute gifts as of late April. Healing Heroes honorees get a special pin and a personal thank you note.
"The Healing Heroes program is a reflection of what makes Holy Cross so special, the bond between caregivers and those they serve," Laura Denoux, vice president and chief development officer at Holy Cross Health, said in a statement. "Some of the most powerful moments in health care happen quietly, at the bedside or during a simple conversation. The Healing Heroes program shines a light on those moments and gives patients a way to turn their appreciation into something enduring."
One grateful patient honored Dr. Kritzia Pineda Monroy, an internal medicine and primary care specialist. The doctor had insisted on a lung scan for the patient, an ex-smoker. The scan led to an early lung cancer diagnosis. The patient, named Shirley, shared, "Had it not been for Dr. Pineda's insistence and sincere caring of a patient that she had just met for the first time, this nodule that was 2 cm would have grown and spread … before I ever knew there was a problem. All my doctors have been wonderful throughout this entire process, but Dr. Pineda is my angel. She started the process in saving my life."
Donors may contribute any amount and direct their funds to an area of the hospital that means the most to them.