Dianne Haugen, manager of Health Information Management at Sandhills Regional Medical Center, and Tonia Pitchford, who works in HIM, celebrate National Hospital Week in this file photo. Several activities are planned next week at the hospital to commemorate the observance.

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Spotlight on health care professionals and commitment to our local community

Hamlet — National Hospital Week runs May 8-14 and Sandhills Regional Medical Center is using this opportunity to emphasize the importance of providing access to quality care close to home.

“Our hospital is unique in that it serves a population of patients right in their own community,” said Mike McNair, Sandhills Regional Medical Center’s chief executive officer. “At a time when people travel far and wide for health care, we are proud of the fact that we provide the latest in technology and services at our facility. Anyone who has been to our hospital knows that our staff works hard to provide superior care and excellent customer service.”

The most recent example of this is the installation of a fixed-based MRI. It is the only one in the county and offers patients the same, if not better, benefits of a “true” open MRI. It accommodates patients of all sizes, yields better diagnostic images, and has a large enough bore to eliminate fears of claustrophobia.

Sandhills Regional Medical Center also features an in-house dialysis unit; inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services; a center for wound care and hyperbaric medicine; a sleep lab; respiratory therapy; laparoscopic surgery; and ER Extra among a host of other services.

The theme of this year’s National Hospital Week is “Champions of Care.” First and foremost, this week is about thanking the men and women who work hard to provide superior health care. The purpose of this commemoration is to celebrate the history, technology and dedicated professionals that make our hospitals beacons of confidence and care.

By providing treatment and comfort to the sick, hospitals are central to a healthy and optimistic community.

“You can count on us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks out of the year. We are always open and there for you when you need us. You have our promise that we are constantly reviewing our services to ensure that you receive the best care possible,” McNair said.

During next week, Sandhills Regional Medical Center will be hosting a variety of activities for its employees and clinics, and each employee will receive a gift.

Incidentally, National Nurses Week begins on May 6 - marked as RN Recognition Day - and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. Because it coincides with National Hospital Week, Sandhills Regional is combining the two observances.

The theme of this year’s National Nurses Week is “Nurses Trusted to Care,” which was designated by the American Nursing Association. The dedication to the care of their patients, combined with their emphasis on continued learning, medical accuracy and safety make nursing a profession with multiple roles.

“The nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society and it is important to remember that our dedicated nurses make this happen on a daily basis,” McNair said.