2023: The Year Of Good
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” – Hal Borland
It’s hard to believe we’re at this moment again, year-end. Over the past 365 days, we have celebrated many milestones, and it’s clear 2023 was a good year for us. We celebrated many work anniversaries, grew relationships in and out of our facility, and helped nearly 10,000 patients get back to living a life they love through our services.
One of the things that we are most proud of is our ability to do good in our community. When our founder, Dr. Joseph Belshe, who passed away this year at the age of 102, envisioned the future of St. Cloud Surgical Center, he prayed for a company that paid it forward whenever possible. To continue his wishes, we support various organizations that are near and dear to our hearts through fundraising.
In 2023, St. Cloud Surgical Center teamed up with the following organizations.
Pockets of Hope (Day of Service)
We started our year of good by packing backpacks for Pockets of Hope during our Annual Day of Service. This organization in our community does incredible work helping children who are rescued from abuse, neglect, and abandonment. When children leave these situations, they are often separated from belongings that give them comfort and enter foster care with nothing. Pockets of Hope provides these children with new backpacks filled with personal care items that they need and comfort items they can call their own. Our team was able to fill backpacks for 48 special children.
Make-A-Wish Minnesota
We participated in Jersey Mike’s Subs Day of Giving for the second year in a row. This year, all sales, not just profits, from their Minnesota-based sub-shops, were donated to Make-A-Wish Minnesota. To join their mission, we catered in subs for our staff, who were also celebrating National Doctor Day, and collectively raised $357 for Make-A-Wish. In total, Jersey Mike’s was able to raise $580,844 for the foundation, and we are proud to be a small part of that.
Pack The Porches
In March, our generous team partnered with Catholic Charities to raise $1595 and 20 lbs of food for their Pack the Porches Food and Fund Drive. Did you know monetary donations allow the food shelf to purchase three times the amount of money raised?
Harvest to Holidays
The holiday season is all about giving, and we do just that at the St. Cloud Surgical Center. Our Harvest to Holidays basket fundraiser is a fan favorite. Each department puts together themed baskets, and employees bid to take them home. This year, we adopted seven families to receive the money raised from bidding. The holidays can be a challenging time for many and there is nothing sweeter than putting a smile on the faces of our adoptive families.
SCA Values Heroes Program
St. Cloud Surgical Center is partnered with SCA, a national surgical solutions provider committed to improving healthcare in America. For more than a decade, all SCA Health teammates and physician partners come together to nominate and recognize those who best represent our values through the Values Heroes program.
At St. Cloud Surgical Center, we turn this opportunity into a special celebration for our employees by honoring a select few who go above and beyond for our patients and community. This annual event allows us to recognize outstanding teammates who are committed to our seven core values and showcase the care, inclusion, and effort our patients expect and deserve. Simply put, team members who do GOOD.
Values Heroes is a nomination of peers. We ask our employees to nominate a co-worker they feel represents our organization the best. This year, six St. Cloud Surgical Center Employees from all different teams were nominated.
- Ashley Bischof, RN
- Cheri Korman, CST
- Robine Schaap, CST
- Mary Storms, Cook
- Cameron Schroeder, Maintenance
- Melissa Stang, BO Manager
Our Good Neighbor
To round out the year of good, we couldn’t forget to mention Our Good Neighbor, Bob. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram (if you don’t, you should), you may have heard of Neighbor Bob. He came into our lives during the height of the pandemic when he would visit our team outside in the testing shed. With him, he would always bring his “Share A Smile with a Stranger” buttons, which he designed in honor of his wife Evie, who passed away in 2018. Bob cared for Evie during her journey through Alzheimer’s and is passionate about early detection and community support for caregivers.
This year, Bob turned 90, and we threw a big party at our facility to celebrate. His contribution to our team during the pandemic and beyond has been uplifting. We devise ways to visit with him often, and our staff enjoys hearing about his adventures. Bob has lived an enormous life filled with so much love and happiness. He’s even authored three books and has appeared in several Minnesota movies! Read more about his living legacy here.
We are all better because of Our Good Neighbor, Bob!
Happy Holidays from Us to You.
Our staff would like to thank you for supporting St. Cloud Surgical Center this year. Every blog read, every photo liked, every comment cheering on our staff, and everyone who chose our facility for their surgery, you made our year. We exist to bring good back into your life and good into our community. It is with the utmost gratitude that we continue to serve you!