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The Alabama Hospital Association has announced a campaign to solicit Valentines for hospital employees.

All Alabamians are encouraged to visit alaha.org and learn how they can provide words of encouragement and thanks to healthcare workers who continue to serve on the front lines fighting the pandemic.

“There’s no way to adequately express our gratitude to the men and women who have been working tirelessly since March to care for those affected by COVID-19,” said Don Williams, M.D., president of the Alabama Hospital Association. “Their dedication, innovation and com-passion for patients is truly inspiring. We need to continually remember them in our thoughts and prayers and Valentine’s Day seems to be an appropriate time to show our appreciation.”

Karen Herring, Troy Regional Medical Center, marketing and a member of the Image Task Force for the Alabama Hospital Association, said, during the pandemic, the task force has been meeting via Zoom.

“We try to come up with ideas for ways to brighten spirits throughout the AHA community and to let each other know how much we care,” Herring said. “We are always looking for ways to let our front-line workers know how much we appreciate their dedication and their sacrifices and their commitment to others. We can’t tell them enough; sometimes we just need to show them.”

And, what better way to show how important and appreciated the front line workers are than with written expressions? And, what better time than Valentine’s?

For students at Banks School, there is no better time than Valentine’s

Christy Reeves, Banks School teacher, said each grade level of traditional students wanted to do something special for those who are taking care of others during this very difficult time.

“Their idea was to make posters to that say, ‘thank you’ in a big way,” Reeves said. “We talked about how our school, and how we all work together and how we all care about each other. And, it’s that way at the hospital — the cooks, the nurses, the doctors, the custodians — all care about each other and work together to care for people who are sick or hurt. Our students were excited to have an opportunity to show their appreciation to those who are on the front lines of the pandemic.”