“More Than a Moment: Celebrating People as a Leadership Practice”

This week, we kicked off Patient Experience Week—a time that reminds us just how powerful small moments of care, connection, and compassion can be.

Whether it’s a nurse taking an extra minute to ease a patient’s anxiety or a registrar who remembers a familiar face and offers a warm welcome, these moments don’t show up in performance dashboards. But they’re often the very things patients remember most.

As I’ve walked through departments and sat with different teams, I’ve been struck by the energy that fills the air when people are recognized—not just for their productivity, but for the impact they have on others.

And as we prepare for the wave of recognitions ahead in May—Nurses Week, Hospital Week, and more—I’m thinking not just about how we celebrate, but why we celebrate.

Here’s the lesson I’m learning in real time:

🎯 Recognition isn’t a seasonal activity. It’s a leadership mindset.

Anyone can post signs and hand out cupcakes. But the leaders who make the biggest difference are the ones who consistently:

• Call out excellence in the moment

• Tie recognition back to the mission

• Make it safe for people to be seen—not just for what they do, but for how they do it

In my first few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of hearing patients name individual team members who made a lasting impact. I’ve seen physicians advocate for their teams. I’ve watched directors beam with pride as they share what their departments have achieved.

It’s a reminder that culture isn’t created in committee meetings—it’s built one relationship, one recognition, and one real moment at a time.

So as we head into this season of celebration, I’m carrying this with me:

✨ Let’s not just mark the calendar. Let’s mark the hearts of the people we serve and lead.