Central Sterile Staff Spread Holiday Cheer at Heartland Care Center

Southeast Missouri Hospital Central Sterile staff brought gifts and Christmas cheer to residents at the Heartland Care and Rehab Center. Standing from left: Nancy Mueller, Mary Woodall, Paulette Gage, Mary Seabaugh, Charles Ortiz Jr., Catrella Burns, Daunisha Carter and Ashley and Landon Smith. Seated is Stacey Lacy.

To celebrate the holiday season, Southeast Missouri Hospital's Central Sterile staff donated around $300 worth of gifts and sang Christmas carols to residents at the Heartland Care and Rehab Center. This thoughtful gesture was the Central Sterile staff's annual Christmas project, in which the staff donates its time and money to those in need of a little cheer.

"It was very touching," says Nancy Mueller, RN, BS, CNOR, CRCST, CS-OR, Central Sterile/Operating Room Materials Manager. "The residents sang along with us and requested songs. We got there right at lunch time so the majority of residents were in the dining room. We had a captive audience."

Residents received gifts including pajamas, sweats, socks, slippers, games, candy and fruit. The Central Sterile staff, along with some members of the OR and Recovery Room staffs, donated the gifts.

Central Sterile's Christmas project the past two years involved the Women's Safe House. But Nancy says they wanted to help an organization that "isn't always thought about during the holidays."

"It was a very heartwarming experience," she says. "It really meant a lot to the residents, but also to our staff."

Central Sterile staff members reached out to the community long before the holiday season. Ten members of the department volunteered with Habitat for Humanity over the course of three Saturdays in October. Volunteers did a variety of jobs, from painting to guttering and even wiring on construction of two homes.

"I'm really proud of them," Mueller says. "I think everybody needs to have some sort of community involvement. It's easy to write a check or donate money because there's little emotional involvement. But when you give up your time, it's more meaningful."