Baptist celebrated team members during National Hospital Week, May 11–17. Between Monday, May 12 and Friday, May 16, each Baptist facility enjoyed fun activities and distributed “Caring is our Calling” T-shirts for Friday’s activities. Keep reading for more details about how facilities celebrated.
Baptist Anderson
Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center honored team members during Hospital Week with food and festivities, including a fiesta-themed meal, a refreshing ice cream social and even a dunking booth — where a few brave leaders took the plunge for a great cause and some good laughs! Leaders thanked team members for making a lasting difference each day with their compassion, commitment and care.
Baptist Booneville
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville had a fun and energizing week with activities that brought the team together. The Olympic-themed series of events, under the banner “Champions of Care: Going for the Gold,” started with an opening ceremony, featuring fresh fruit and a lively game of Pretty Windy, which involved blowing plastic cups over using only air from an inflated balloon.
Next up was a Breakfast of Champions for all team members, followed by a midweek energy boost with BodyArmor sports drinks, trail mix and yogurt. Another fun activity was the Germ-X relay, where participants had one minute to apply hand sanitizer and put on gloves. The quickest team member won.
Team members also enjoyed “Loaded Tea” Day and swim and roll relay, a game involving players using toilet paper to roll a computer mouse across a table. The quickest roller took the win. Hospital Week wrapped up with a closing ceremony and cookout, celebrating the week’s highlights and announcing contest winners.
Baptist Carroll County
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County had a wonderful time celebrating the people who make the hospital a special place and recognizing the staff’s hard work and dedication. The hospital hosted a kickoff breakfast, offered daily treats, such as cookies and fun space-themed snacks, gave out small appreciation gifts, and ended the week with a delicious lunch picnic.
Baptist Collierville
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville held a “Shining Stars” Employee Recognition Day to celebrate team members for recent achievements and acknowledgements. Recognized team members include
- Casey Gary, Service First Champion
- Sherrica Griggs, PARK Award winner
- Gracie Ruben, Medical Executive Committee Nursing Excellence winner
- Samantha Baddley, DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses winner
Team members also enjoyed space- and alien-themed photo shoots and treats from Parker’s Water Ice.
Baptist Crittenden
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden celebrated Hospital Week with Hawaiian-themed fun, including Fat Boyz shaved ice, tropical drinks, an Aloha photo booth, a tiki stand, gift boxes and a luau.
Baptist DeSoto
Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto started off Hospital Week with Carnival Day, featuring food and games, followed by Mempops and a photo booth. The fun continued with Chick-fil-A biscuits with “Dr. Cow.”
Leaders showed their appreciation at the annual employee picnic. Team members participated in fun outdoor activities, as well as indoor karaoke and music.
Baptist DeSoto team members also came together to show their care and commitment beyond the walls of the hospital by collecting food items to donate to the DeSoto County Dream Center’s food pantry. The hospital’s worship choir blessed the hearts of all through music during the food collection event.
Baptist Golden Triangle
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle celebrated Hospital Week with breakfast, a cookout, health fair day, multiple flavors of bagged kettle corn and delicious ice cream sundaes.
Baptist Memphis
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis celebrated team members throughout the week, kicking off with a tailgate party in the seminar area on Monday for day and night shifts with prizes, Jenga, cornhole, ping pong, yard pong, nachos and chili dogs.
The hospital continued its tradition of “Baptist Idol” in the Garrett Auditorium on Tuesday, May 13. Five talented Baptist Memphis team members competed with Ebony Montgomery, patient care tech from 2 West, voted as the winner, and Rivers Norment, registered nurse from Neuro ICU, voted as runner-up. Judges were Administrative Director of Transplant Services Renee Hatcher as Simon Cowell, Baptist Memphis CNO Cara Beard as Katie Perry, Baptist Memphis Chief Operating Officer Craig Earley as Luke Bryan, System Director of Respiratory Therapy Larry Hopper as Randy Jackson, and Baptist Memphis CEO and VP of Metro Operations Paul Cade as Bubba Rock. Blessing of the Hands and “Food Truck Friday” rounded out Hospital Week events.
Baptist North Mississippi
Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi celebrated Hospital Week with many festivities, including loaded teas, a cakewalk, fish fry, balloon arch and Baptist North Mississippi’s inaugural “Baptist Idol” featuring Brian Welton, administrator and CEO, as Freddie Mercury, and Don Buchanan, controller for Accounting, as Elvis Presley.
Baptist Tipton
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton celebrated Hospital Week with a spirited “Triple H Ranch” theme, highlighting healing, health and hope, a reminder of the hospital’s mission and the concept that “Caring is our Calling.”
Festivities kicked off with a team breakfast and a lively Wanted Contest, sparking friendly competition among departments. Other activities included an ice cream social and a chili cookoff. The celebration wrapped up with a festive outdoor cookout complete with bull roping, games and awards recognizing exceptional team members. The week was filled with fun and fellowship, honoring the hard work and dedication of the hospital’s staff.
Baptist Union City
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City honored team members during Hospital Week with an ice cream social and a donut and scone break.
On Thursday, May 15, team members also participated in a disaster response exercise led by the Tennessee Military Department in conjunction with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The exercise scenario was based on a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurring along the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Named “Vigilant Guard 2025,” the exercise gave participants the opportunity to activate and employ their response plans to improve mission command, relationships and interoperability among federal, state and local agencies.
Baptist Union County
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County kicked off the “Out of This World” Hospital Week with a picnic provided by Taylor’s Grocery. Team members also dressed as aliens or their favorite space movie characters and posed for photos. The Women’s Center won first place in the breakroom decorating contest.
Other activities for the week included visits by the candy cart, Cosmic Coffee and Donuts, Galaxy Grub and an alien scavenger hunt. Colleagues proudly wore the new “Caring is our Calling” T-shirts as the week came to an end.
Corporate
Baptist Corporate office hosted a week of “Out of This World” activities, starting with a Cosmic Lounge, a relaxation room for peace and serenity, followed by a Rocket Fuel breakfast from Chick-fil-A, and AstroPaws, a meeting with furry ambassadors from outer space courtesy of Mid South Therapy Dogs & Friends.
The fun continued with The Mindful Milky Way, a health and wellness fair with gifts and resources. Team members also enjoyed Goatfleet One — snuggles and photos with goats, courtesy of 901 Goats. The Interstellar Style Show featured team members in space costumes. Totsy Littlejohn took first place with her conehead costume, and Carol Ingram won Most Spirited with her Mandalorian costume.
Mission Mammogram put the focus on breast health with mammograms provided by Baptist’s mobile mammography unit. Team members also enjoyed Frozen Orbit (ice cream treats) and a lobby decorating contest, won by the second floor.
The week wrapped up with Galactic Grub, a lunch from Las Delicias and treats from Mempops, and Bean Bags and Black Holes, the first Corporate cornhole tournament.
“The Bag Masters,” Ryan Burt and Trent Riden, came in first place in the cornhole tournament. Second place and the Best Bean Bag Style Award went to “Nursing G.O.A.T.S,” Nicki Staples and Kevin Hollinger. “Telehealth Titans,” Stacy Hammett and Meredith Palfrey, won the Most Spirited Award.
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center celebrated Hospital Week with the theme “Thankful to our Tiki-riffic Employees.” The week started off with bracelets for team members, followed by a Chick-fil-A breakfast delivered by leaders, and games, tropical refreshments and a selfie station with tropical props.
The week ended with team members wearing their “Caring is our Calling” T-shirts while enjoying cool treats provided by the Baptist Volunteer Auxiliary. “We honored our dedicated team members during Hospital Week and thanked them for caring for the patients we serve,” said Bobbie Ware, CEO and administrator of MBMC.
NEA Baptist
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital hosted a chicken and waffles bar to honor team members during Hospital Week.
