Caregiver Support Continues in New Year
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, area restaurants and community organizations have generously donated meals and sweet treats to help boost the morale of University Hospitals caregivers. That generous spirit didn’t stop with the beginning of a new year.
Cookies for Caregivers, a grassroots effort started by two Pennsylvania men, has grown to a nationwide initiative. A special Facebook group connects volunteers with local groups to make treats for first responders, essential workers and caregivers. Here in Cleveland, dozens of cookies have been delivered to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and UH Cleveland, Ahuja and Parma medical centers.
Chick-fil-A also awarded a year’s worth of complimentary meals to 18 local heroes who work at UH Parma Medical Center, across the street from their newest location.
“It was such an amazing surprise!" said 25-year employee Maria Scheutzow, an RN in Infection Control who has worked nonstop behind the scenes of the pandemic to keep caregivers safe and implement protocols to protect our patients. “What fun it is to be given an unexpected and undeserved gift, especially in the midst of the pandemic fatigue we are all feeling right now."
UH Parma's recipients represent a wide cross-section of employees, who were selected through a random number generator. They come from a variety of departments and job titles and include nurses, PCNAs, a medical assistant and a registrar/screener; respiratory and occupational therapists; radiology and sterile processing technicians; a phlebotomist; workers in maintenance, housekeeping and dietary; and a teacher from the Child Care Center.
University Hospitals is grateful to all individuals and organizations willing to help our caregivers, patients and community during the COVID-19 crisis. Community response and caregiver support funds have been established to support UH's extensive patient care, medical supplies, research and education needs.