Anyway, I've been in this weird land of Radiology for 10 months now, where I'm the leader of 12 hospitals and outpatient facilities and 500 employees. I still vacillate between having a complete grasp on my position and its awesome demands and sitting in my office, sort of zoning out to old Duran Duran songs on Pandora while I stare at the piles of radiology "stuff" needing attention. How do I even edit a Nuclear Medicine Isotope policy without having to google things? Eek.
I was out of the office for 11 days and in the Tampa airport, on the way home, I caught up on email. Yet, by the end of today, I was tapped out again, dreaming of our 85 degree pool at night, with Christmas lights draped on our Floridian railing.
That didn't take long.
I *loved* those Christmas lights. I always travel with them now.
Anyway, a few things shake me from my relative security or downright stagnation- and it's the huge generosity of the radiology staff. A few years ago, the department started sponsoring some families and charities for Christmas. They would raise $1000-1200 for the families and it was such a striking gesture. This year, the "Christmas Committee" came to me in August, requesting a formal meeting. They wanted to start a "12 weeks of Christmas" program across Radiology, where each department would take one of the weeks of Christmas. The departments would create baskets for raffles or sponsor potluck luncheons for modest fees. Then, as we spaced out the requests for money, we might get a better response for the charities.
Why would I object? Of course this sounds great. The management team was assigned "Four Calling Birds" and we created an Alfred Hitchcock-themed Birds basket. With Christmas movies included!
Gotta include Kevin MacAllister with your Hitchcock movies!
So this whole "12 Weeks of Christmas" idea started in October and so far, with 2 weeks to go, has raised $5800. It's stunning. We actually had to find MORE charities to support this year; what a novel problem to have.
We very well may surpass $7000 raised and it's so humbling to me because this is all staff-driven. I've learned that I have employees who volunteer at soup kitchens in the city every Saturday night. I've learned that I have MRI staff who gather at 5:30 am each Wednesday morning for Bible study. I found out that the Diagnostic Xray department does spontaneous blanket drives throughout winter.
The sense of charity, generosity, and kindness is truly humbling. I look around and all these people want is perrmission to keep doing what they're doing. And they refuse any kind of recognition. They are spreading God's presence around the hospital and other departments outside Imaging and Radiology are starting to participate because they are so moved.
It's so humbling. I can't believe I work and with for such wonderful people.
What a blessing. For us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment