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This week, as many of us gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for the incredible dedication, compassion and expertise of the people working at hospitals and health systems.

Whether caring for expectant mothers, newborn babies or people of all ages experiencing disease or illness or recovering from injuries — health care professionals make a positive impact on people’s health and well-being at every stage of their lives.

Moreover, teams at hospitals and health systems stand ready to provide an amazing array of services 24/7/365.

• Surgical teams perform cutting-edge procedures and what we now consider more routine operations.
• Environmental services teams expertly clean and disinfect medical equipment and patient rooms.
• Leadership teams oversee operations, finance, technology and more.
• Therapy teams help patients improve movement and gain strength.
• Bedside nurses handle countless tasks caring for patients each day, including providing emotional support when needed — which may be simply holding a patient’s hand.

And there are so many more people who go to work at hospitals and health systems day in and day out, including on Thanksgiving, to care for patients and families.

During times of crisis that affect public health — like a viral outbreak, natural disaster or acts of violence — health care teams make sacrifices that may expose them to infection, put them in harm’s way and take them away from their own loved ones. We must never take such sacrifices for granted. Our health care workforce deserves our full support and gratitude.

To every one of you working at a hospital or health system — from the C-suite to the pharmacy to the lab to the front lines: Thank you for the extraordinary commitment you make every day to keep individuals, families and communities healthy.