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UAMS volunteers thank coworkers for their hard work during the pandemic
Image by Ben Boulden
Team UAMS Wears Blue to Thank Health Care Workers during Pandemic
| Blue met blue at UAMS and said ‘thank you’ starting at 6 a.m. Aug. 13.
More than 50 UAMS volunteers in various articles of blue clothing gathered at three separate campus building entrances to say ‘thank you’ to co-workers, most of whom work in clinical areas and many of them in similarly colored apparel.
Many of them wearing blue clothing, UAMS employees walk into work at Level B of Parking 2.
UAMS invited all employees and students as members of the community to wear blue on Aug. 13 in support of health care workers as a symbol of strength and unity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the volunteers did more than wear blue. They waved signs with written expressions of gratitude like “We Love Our Health Care Heroes,” “You Rock” and “UAMS Strong,” shouted their appreciation and encouragement, and smiled at other employees leaving and starting their work shifts.
“Many of us that are not on the frontlines have been struggling with a way to say thank you and we support you,” said Natalie Cannady, M.Ed., UAMS Chief Wellness Officer. “I thought what better way than to show them we support them by wearing one color. They could see the unity all day across campus and hopefully the community.”
Some people may feel awkward about directly thanking an unfamiliar individual who may be busy. Cannady said wearing blue is a way to express gratitude for them being here, for continuing to fight and for their sacrifices, time, effort and compassion.
“Dr. (Puru) Thapa says that compassion is one step above empathy and it can be much harder for some people to express. Our frontline workers show compassion every day, in every way to our patients—even when they are tired, frustrated, understaffed and feeling a sense of being alone in the fight. That’s heroism to me,” Cannady said.
Purushottam Thapa, M.D., is a UAMS professor of psychiatry and director of the Student, Resident and Faculty Wellness Programs.
Friday also marked UAMS’ 519th day of battling COVID-19. Like other Arkansas hospitals, the UAMS Medical Center is full.
Nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and other of the university’s health care professionals have been working long days around the clock to care for patients. UAMS has about 200 job openings for nurses.
“I think it is important to continue to show our support and appreciation to all our staff on the frontlines,” said Annabeth Johnson, MBA, UAMS special events manager. “We couldn’t fight this pandemic without them, and it’s important to remember the sacrifices they are making every day they come into work to take care of others. They are resilient!”
An employee walks toward the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and between two rows of coworkers greeting him as part of the Wear Blue celebration at the university.