From Christmas caroling and decorating contests to visits with Santa, Baptist team members celebrated the holidays with creativity and cheer. Colleagues also gave generously, participating in food drives and providing toys and other gifts for children or rehabilitation and nursing home residents. Keep reading to learn more about Christmas events across the system.
Baptist Anderson
Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center team members embraced the season of giving by sharing Christmas joy with 12 foster children and donating nonperishable food items to the Wesley House Community Center.
The hospital held its annual Christmas breakfast with delicious food and a special visit from Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch.
The Baptist Anderson Choir, led by Volunteer Chaplain Rev. Rick Munn, blessed many patients, visitors and colleagues with several performances of cheerful holiday music throughout December.
The hospital’s first Christmas tree decorating contest was a huge success with 26 beautifully decorated trees representing departments throughout the hospital. Teams went all out with creativity, each department choosing a Christmas song theme to inspire their designs, and the results were amazing. The Nursery/Newborn Intensive Care unit won first place with “Away in a Manger,” and Accreditation claimed second place with “Frosty the Snowman.” Human Resources earned third place with “Let It Snow.”
Inpatient Pharmacy won first place in the door decorating contest with its gingerbread house decorations, including the entrance door and hallway leading to the department, a decorated Christmas tree, stockings and a photo-op area inside the department. The Nursery/Newborn Intensive Care unit won second place, and the Intensive Care unit claimed third place.
The hospital also celebrated its volunteers at Christmas. “Baptist Anderson is truly blessed with the most incredible volunteers. These remarkable individuals and our precious service dog generously give their time, talents and compassion to our hospital, creating a positive impact daily,” said Baptist Anderson Director of Guest Services Sheila Nettles. “This year, the volunteers have graciously donated almost 4,000 hours of service to Baptist Anderson! We are deeply grateful for their dedication and the heart they bring to everything they do.”
Baptist Attala
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Attala won the Best Business Float Award in the Kosciusko Christmas Parade. The parade theme was storybook Christmas, and Baptist Attala’s float took inspiration from the movie “A Christmas Story.”
Baptist Attala hosted a Christmas door decorating contest. The best overall winner was Baptist Medical Group-Attala Kosciusko Primary Care. Laboratory won Most Festive while Physical Therapy took the award for Most Traditional. Radiology earned the Most Colorful distinction, and Purchasing won Most Sparkly. Medical-surgical won the Most Child Friendly Award.
The hospital also celebrated with cookies and hot chocolate with Santa. Children enjoyed photos with Santa and an activity table. Hospital leaders attended a Christmas party with games, food and fellowship.
Baptist Carroll County
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County team members enjoyed holiday cheer during one of its Christmas celebrations when Santa, played by Dr. Lee Carter, made a surprise visit. Staff gathered for photos, laughter and a lighthearted break.
“Moments like this remind us that while our work is serious, taking time to celebrate one another and share in simple joys helps strengthen our culture and connection as a team,” said Sarah Pitcher, Baptist Carroll County marketing and physician relations manager.
Baptist Corporate
Christmas at Corporate kicked off with the Baptist Corporate Ugly Christmas Sweater Day on Friday, Dec. 5. Team members enjoyed coffee, cocoa, donuts and photos with Santa in the morning and an ugly Christmas sweater parade in the afternoon with Santa making another appearance for photos! Festivities continued on Monday, Dec. 8 with the opening of the ornament craft room where team members had the opportunity to create a “Caring is our Calling” holiday ornament to share with a patient or take home. The craft room was open for two weeks, and staff made more than 50 ornaments that were distributed to patients at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville.
Team members also spread the holiday spirit with karaoke caroling on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Festivities wrapped up on Friday, Dec. 19 with the announcement of the winner of the floor decorating contest — the third floor. Floor captain Sandra Sanchez oversaw the hard work of the floor elves who made contributions: Petra Dodd and her mother Evelyn, Lynne Albonetti, Sheila Senkbeil, Robin Bedsole, Jasmine Jobity-May and Sandy Boyle. The decorations included a Baptist Memorial Hospital inside a Christmas village, representing the Finance and Revenue Cycle departments.
On Friday, team members also wore their favorite holiday-themed hats, socks and sweaters while enjoying holiday treats.
Baptist DeSoto
Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto team members gathered around the Christmas tree on Thursday, Dec. 11 while Baptist DeSoto’s Worship Choir sang Christmas carols for the presentation of gifts to DeSoto County Child Protective Services for 79 children in foster care. That’s the largest number of children the hospital has ever “adopted” for Christmas since working with Desoto County Child Protective Services in the past 25 years.
Team members purchased the donated gifts, including bicycles and scooters. After the ceremony, Baptist DeSoto staff and DeSoto County Emergency Services personnel loaded the gifts in a truck, and they were distributed later that week.
Baptist Golden Triangle
The Salvation Army picked up more than 900 toys donated by Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle team members during the hospital’s toy drive on Monday, Dec. 15. Team members who brought in a toy for the drive received three tickets, which were used to vote in the hospital’s tree decorating contest. Some team members contributed cash, which was used to purchase additional toys.
Marketing provided Christmas trees that departments teamed up to decorate.
Team members cast their final votes in the contest on Thursday, Dec. 11 while enjoying popcorn, soft drinks and a Christmas-themed movie. The Education department with its “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” tree and Pharmacy with its medication-inspired tree received the most votes. Team members from these two departments will receive a pizza party lunch, provided by Marketing. In appreciation of their participation in the contest and toy drive, all hospital departments enjoyed Shipley Do-Nuts on Thursday, Dec. 18.
Baptist Leake
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Leake team members “adopted” 16 children in foster care in Leake County. Team members helped ensure the children’s Christmas wishes came true by purchasing gifts from the Citizens National Bank-Carthage Branch Angel Tree Project list.
Baptist Leake held its second annual gingerbread house competition. The highly competitive contest received more than 1,200 votes in a Facebook poll. Taylor Mays from Baptist Medical Group-Carthage Primary Care won with her tiki hut primary care clinic.
The hospital also celebrated the Christmas season with its wonderful volunteers. Baptist Leake will observe the 10-year anniversary of its volunteer program in February, with nine charter members still serving in the program.
Baptist Memphis
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis celebrated with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” with Santa and friends for day and night shifts on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Team members and guests posed for pictures with Santa and enjoyed music and snacks.
Several departments decorated Christmas wreaths to brighten hallways, and team members collected hundreds of new hats, scarves, gloves and socks to donate to A Betor Way and the Hospitality Hub. The hospital also held a department leadership holiday breakfast on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and a physician and advanced practice provider holiday luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Baptist Women’s Auxiliary, a group of more than 40 women, hosted its annual Christmas bag event at the hospital. Patients received bags filled with toiletry and gift items and a blanket or quilt. The group, which has participated in this tradition for more than 30 years, supports Baptist Memorial hospitals in the metro-Memphis area by making and collecting items to give to patients and their loved ones.
Baptist North Mississippi
Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi team members continued their commitment to serving the community by providing holiday gifts to children and families in need. The Emergency department and providers worked with the Oxford Police Department to deliver Christmas gifts to several local families.
The hospital also launched Hearts for Head Start: Baptist Cares Edition, an initiative through which team members generously provided gifts for 66 children at the Mary Cathey Head Start Center.
Baptist North Mississippi department directors and managers attended a holiday-themed retreat focused on setting goals and gearing up for a successful 2026. The retreat provided time for collaboration and connection, and a surprise visit from Buddy the Elf and Santa! Leaders also participated in an ugly Christmas sweater contest with L.B. Wiggins, nurse manager of the Emergency department, taking first place, and Stephanie Bramlitt, director of Diagnostic Radiology, winning second place.
Baptist Telehealth Services and Patient Placement Transfer Center
The Telehealth Services team and the Patient Placement Transfer Center continued their heartfelt tradition of giving back to the community this holiday season. Building on last year’s collaboration, both departments joined forces with Graceland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for the second annual sponsorship of nursing home residents.
This initiative was led by Johnnie Stowes, head nurse of the Patient Placement Transfer Center, with strong support from Brandi Ramsey, nurse manager of Baptist Medical Group eICU, and Tanawanda Morgan, nurse manager of the Patient Placement Transfer Center. Residents were invited to share up to three items that would bring them joy or comfort, and team members went above and beyond — providing those requested items along with additional gifts to meet the seasonal needs of 138 sponsored residents.
“This year marks our second annual nursing home sponsorship at Graceland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, made possible by team members whose commitment to service truly reflects the heart of Baptist,” said Morgan. “Their generosity reminds us that healing is not limited to clinical spaces but is often found through human connection and simple acts of kindness.”
Baptist Union City
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City Auxiliary and Pastoral Care department hosted a holiday crafting lunch called “Holiday Ornament Making 101” for team members and auxiliary members. Auxiliary members Teresa Vinson and Pam Harris served as speakers for the event.
“Holiday Ornament Making 101” was part of the hospital’s staff and auxiliary engagement series, Fridays in November, which placed a special focus on fun and fellowship. Another program in the series was “Pretty Girls, Prayers and Pearls” with speaker Jennifer Borneman, director of admissions for Baptist Union City. The program centered on Borneman’s remembrance of her late grandmother Thelma Pate Grooms with a focus on faith, expectations and anticipations. Borneman explained that “pretty” can mean a condition of the heart rather than outward beauty and that prayer is the most powerful conversation you can have.
Baptist Union County
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County held a friendly and competitive food drive that resulted in more than 2,000 donated food items and a $400 donation to the Good Samaritan Center, which provides food, supplies and utility assistance to those in need. The Good Samaritan Center also recently received a community grant from Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation. Baptist Cancer Center-Union County and Baptist Cancer Center-DeSoto joined forces and won first place in the food drive contest.
Baptist Union County team members also provided Christmas gifts to 19 “adopted” New Albany Middle School Angel Tree students.
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center team members supported Saving Grace Women’s Home with donations. The faith-based residential program assists women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and other associated problems.
Team members enjoyed photos with Santa, performances from the MBMC Choir and readings from chaplains. Santa, Mrs. Claus and two elves made rounds at the hospital and clinics to spread cheer to team members.
The hospital held a tree decorating contest which resulted in nearly 30 trees decorated by several departments. The first place winner was “Candy Cane Lane” by Core Lab. Second place went to the Float Pool’s “Gingerbread,” and third place was claimed by Baptist Medical Group Care Coordination with its “Mr. Grinch.” Almost 2,500 votes came in for the People’s Choice Award, earned by Outpatient Radiology with “Traditional Christmas.”
NEA Baptist
Santa and the Grinch made rounds across NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital and NEA Baptist Clinic, spreading Christmas cheer!
