Congratulations Surgery Department on the 2021 UA Department Award for Excellence!

Getting a department together for a zoom meeting is never easy but getting a group of surgeons together is even harder.   They made it happen though and the ERC surprise patrol was happy to see them so we could make the announcement that they had been chosen from the Best of the Best as the 2021 UA Department Award for Excellence!  Some of the wonderful things written about them were presented including striving to have an intentional culture that respects their faculty, staff, residents, students, and those we interact with each day. These traits modeled not just by their leaders but is carried out by their support staff, faculty, researchers, and even their student employees.  Their department implemented a Wellness Committee in 2018 and had a special COVID Wellness Committee form in 2020 to provide extra support during the difficult and unprecedented times caused by the pandemic. The department created a COVID-19 Wellness Resources page which contained everything from easy at-home exercises to discounts and freebies to social-distancing-approved local amusements.  The innovation of their team is undeniable and find ways to encourage the Front Line Workers during COVID. Staff came up with wonderful initiatives to offer their support. They partnered with local restaurants to donate food to  clinical providers and residents who were on the front lines and working long hours in the hospital. They transformed shared space in the COM by decorating it with pictures from employees’ kids who drew superhero “Thank You” cards. It was heartfelt and even the youngest members of the team found ways to support them. One employee’s daughter donated her Girl Scout cookies to residents so they had a sweet treat to enjoy at the end of a long shift. Employee’s put together an amazing video for Banner’s Custodial and Food Service Workers to thank them for their service. As you can see, what sets them apart is every one of their employees knows that in Surgery, their job is to show up on someone’s worst day and perform at their best. From the examples included here we can all see the excellence behind their masks.  Congratulations to the Surgery Department!