With physician and nurse burnout reaching an all-time high nationwide, Phoenix Children’s Hospital knows that appreciation can go a long way toward helping to make sure their staff feels the love.

“Expressing gratitude, honoring employees’ efforts and creating a culture of opportunity is a cornerstone of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, but we take the celebration to the next level for National Hospital Week,” said Robert Meyer, CEO, Phoenix Children’s. “Together, staff across our hospital system have created a culture of collaboration, innovation and enthusiasm that reaches into every corner of our organization. They deserve to be celebrated – this week and all year long.”

To mark the launch of an ongoing employee gratitude campaign, the hospital system has prepared a National Hospital Week celebration that’s packed with activities, events and giveaways to acknowledge the people responsible for the care at Arizona’s only “Best Children’s Hospital,” as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

Hospital Week kicked off on May 10 and continues through May 19. Among the highlights of the celebration:

May 10: Wellness Fair with more than two dozen companies providing educational opportunities, free giveaways, and raffle opportunities.

May 13: Complimentary ice cream bars for employees.

May 16: Onsite pets, hugs and play with Phoenix Children’s therapy dogs.

May 17: “Flip Bowl Challenge,” a timed competition among several hospital departments to eat a bowl of cereal the fastest; the challenge is part of Phoenix Children’s internal cereal drive benefiting St. Mary’s Food Bank.

May 18: All-employee picnic.

May 19: Enterprise-wide raffle featuring high-value giveaways including restaurant and movie gift cards, staycation packages, hot air balloon rides, tickets to popular Valley attractions, and a host of others. In addition, Phoenix Children’s researchers will be celebrated through various awareness opportunities on this day, which is known as National Research Day.

“We can’t possibly express the full extent of our gratitude, but we hope these activities and our ongoing internal campaign ensure our staff feel appreciated and honored,” added Meyer. “They are the very best in healthcare.”