Kootenai Health is proud to acknowledge the heartfelt words of encouragement and letters that we have received from countless supporters in our community. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all and we pride ourselves in being One Connected Team — working together to provide the best care to every patient who passes through our doors. Thank you to those who took the time out of their busy schedules to sit down, put pen to paper and show us your support. We’re in this together!
Below are scans of just some of our letters – we received over 400 to date and will work to post as many as we can!
Letters from our Community:
Kootenai Health regularly receives messages of support, but one push in particular stands out. Local teacher, Charlene Babb, decided she wanted to show our health care workers that there is a huge section of our community that supports them and is thinking of them during this particularly challenging time. She made a simple post on her social media page, soliciting her friends and their network to send Kootenai Health tokens of thanks.
Her social media post read:
“Our hospital workers are in need of our community knowing that there are many who support their incredible dedication during this difficult time. Wanting to do a lot to show them our appreciation, but not wanting to get in their way…wouldn’t it be great to get 1,000 old-fashioned handwritten thank you letters for them from our community and delivered all at one time? This isn’t monumental, but it’s something and I know so many of us want to help. Handwritten notes are the best! Spread the word!”
A tsunami of support for Kootenai Health came in and over 400 handwritten letters have since been generated by this simple effort – and more are showing up every day.
The Kootenai Health Foundation has collected the cards, which have been carefully arranged in sleeved binders so they can make their way through the hospital and clinics to bring joy to Kootenai Health’s hard-working and dedicated employees. Letters rolled in directed not only at the nurses and doctors on the frontlines, but housekeepers in the halls, nutrition services in the Kootenai Café and the pharmacists filling prescriptions — every department was included in this community-led project! These community members understand, as those of us at Kootenai Health do, that we are One Connected Team.
A million thanks right back to you, community.