JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Two Ballad Health nurses who help care for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients recently went the extra mile to help One Acre Café, a community restaurant focused on battling hunger and food insecurity, by collecting and delivering two carloads of donated food and supplies. One Acre Café, 603 W. Walnut St., offers the community healthy and nutritious food in a warm and inviting space. There are suggested donations for those who can pay or “pay it forward” and the ability to volunteer in exchange for a meal for those who cannot. Kim Jessee, RN and nurse manager for intensive care unit/progressive care unit at Franklin Woods Community Hospital, and Karen Burke, RN for the ICU/PCU at Franklin Woods, provide care for COVID-19 patients at the hospital, but they were determined to help One Acre Café provide food to those in need. They learned One Acre Café planned to create “blessing bags”…

Dorothy, 91, is a resident at Mountain View Regional Hospital’s long-term care unit in Norton, Virginia, and her nurses went above and beyond to do something special for her. Even though it was a small thing, it meant a whole lot to Dorothy. Her nephew coaches the girls’ basketball team at Central High School in Wise, Virginia, with the team winning five of the last six state titles, including three in a row. Dorothy keeps up with the games as best she can, and to show her support, she wore her Central Warriors shirt every day for two weeks, as long as the team was winning through the district, regional and state tournaments. On the eve of the state finals, being held in Richmond, she wanted to arrange to hear or watch the game live, but was disappointed to find out it wasn’t going to be broadcast on TV, and radio reception was not good…

The Takoma Singers have been serenading patients with uplifting music for nearly four decades. The group, comprised of team members and volunteers at Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, stroll the hallways two days a week singing hymns, usually with a guitarist, and perform in patient rooms upon request. “We always start with prayer,” says Cindy Luttrell, patient experience director for Greene County. “One of our Ballad Health values is faith so we want to inspire and encourage people’s trust in God. Having faith has been shown to positively impact your health.” The singers often receive feedback from patients saying how the music helped them through a difficult time. Pictured, from left to right, are three of the singers performing in the hallway of Same-Day Surgery at Takoma Regional: Luttrell; James Fain, a volunteer chaplain; and Vickie Henegar, operational excellence manager for Greene County and diagnostic imaging supervisor for the Takoma campus.

At Kids First Pediatrics of NE Tennessee, Dr. Jon Applegate and nurse practitioners Sylvia Boesch and Darla Morgan use their creative juices to make visits the doctor a lot more fun for their young patients. From eye-popping bulletin boards next to the baby scale, to showcasing their artistic talents on pumpkins during the fall, to sending kids home with painted “inspiration” rocks, these providers know how to bring a smile to a child.

Eight years ago Terry Higginbotham was looking for something to do to fill his new-found free time. What he found was the fulfillment of seeing someone smile when he offers them a freshly-baked cookie or finding help for a distressed family member sitting alone who hasn’t reached out to anyone for help or information. Instead of enjoying sleeping in now that he’s retired, Terry says that he comes in at 6 a.m. because that’s when patients and families are coming in for surgery and he wants to be there to guide them to their destination. “I walk the halls looking for people or staff who I can help,” says Terry. “Maybe someone needs a wheelchair or doesn’t know where to go. I usually leave each time feeling like I’ve helped people.”

Donna and one of her cancer patients had grown close. The patient, whose life was quickly coming to an end, was looking forward to the birth of her first grandchild and a final trip to Rochester, New York, to attend a baby shower for her son and his wife. When the patient’s ride to New York fell through, Donna’s heart broke. But her caring spirit kicked in. She quickly requested time off and used vacation days for a road trip to Rochester to help her patient join in the celebration of new life. “I couldn’t imagine her missing this special time with her family,” says Donna. “It was my honor to make that happen for her.”