LONG BRANCH – During the evening shift change at Monmouth Medical Center April 15, members of the hospital’s management team and medical staff stood in long reception lines and cheered and applauded incoming and outgoing staff to let the health care workers battling COVID-19 on the frontlines know how appreciated they are.
Displaying the signs showing support for health care heroes both in and out of the hospital were, from left, Leslie Shephard, director of patient care, BBR2 Oncology and Community 2, and Stefonia Thompson, director of patient care, Borden 5.
The emotional “clap in and clap out” heroes salute for Monmouth Medical Center staff also included a tribute by Long Branch first responders who lined up in fire, police and EMS vehicles outside the hospital and sounded the sirens and ran the lights in tribute to hospital staff. The event was organized to recognize the incredible efforts of the physicians, nurses and entire health care team battling day in and day out during the COVID-19 health care crisis, according to Eric Carney, hospital president and CEO.
“This was such a great celebration of our staff and physicians for the incredible work they have been doing to take care of our community,” he said. “And making the evening even more of a celebration, Long Branch supported the event in a big way by sending fire trucks, police cars and ambulances to recognize our staff with a salute of lights and sirens, making it an amazing moment of Heroes thanking Heroes. We are so thankful to Mayor John Pallone and the City of Long Branch for their unwavering support.”
Staff nurse Nicole Roberts, a medical-surgical nurse who works on one of the dedicated COVID-19 inpatient units, said the celebration “meant the world” to the staff working long, hard days over the last month.
Members of the Monmouth Medical Center’s management team and medical staff stood in long reception lines to cheer for and applaud incoming and outgoing staff.
“This just filled my heart and gave me chills – hearing all the sirens throughout the building and knowing we have so much support,” she said.
Alyson Jordan, nurse leader for Roberts’ unit, agreed, saying the event “meant everything to the nurses and all the staff.”
“I know we have a lot of support within the hospital, but to be able to see and hear the support outside the hospital recognizing all the hard work we’re putting in for the community, it really means a lot,” she said.
During the event, the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation distributed “A Hero Lives Here” lawn signs so staff can proudly celebrate their dedication and sacrifice in their communities. “I’m so proud to hold my sign up and put in out on my lawn,” Roberts said.
“The foundation also ensured that our staff members were well fed for the evening by coordinating the distribution of more than 500 donated meals,” Carney said. He noted that beyond their efforts last night, the foundation has actively worked to connect with the community to further support the work of the hospital.
“To date, they have coordinated the delivery of countless meals every day of the week since the crisis began, secured over 80,000 masks, 6,000 pieces of eye protection and raised more than $1.5 million of support from the community,” he said. “This is another great example of how Monmouth Medical Center heroes are working together to care for those who care for our community.”
“Today’s health care workers are our heroes,” said Ann Unterberg, immediate past chair of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees and vice chair of Monmouth Medical Center’s Board of Trustees. “As patients fight for their lives, our brave medical teams fight for the lives of others. We cannot stand alongside them physically but we can stand side by side with financial support and resources. They deserve nothing less.”
Visit rwjbh.org/heroes to share a note of thanks or to make donations to Monmouth Medical Center’s Emergency Response Fund.
This article originally appeared in the April 23rd, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
