OWASCO - Helen Oyer is proud to say she has been a nurse at Auburn Memorial Hospital for 30 years.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Auburn Memorial Hospital billing clerk Cheri Farrington accepts a balloon heart from “Captain Crooked,” entertainer Wendell Conley, at the hospital's employee picnic in Owasco Friday.
Auburn Memorial Hospital billing clerk Cheri Farrington accepts a balloon heart from “Captain Crooked,” entertainer Wendell Conley, at the hospital's employee picnic in Owasco Friday.
But on Friday she did more than just speak about her commitment. For the afternoon hours she, her husband, Bernard, and grandson Timothy Norton celebrated it by licking ice cream, listening to music and having great conversation during AMH's annual employees picnic.
“I think this is a wonderful tribute for the hospital and staff for a job we do well,” she said. “It's a great place to work.”
The sunny disposition of employees and their families at the picnic held at the Owasco Fire Department station mirrored that of the cloudless blue sky above. Wide smiles and giggles of excitement from children permeated the back lawn at the fire station as the children slid down an inflatable slide or jumped sky-high inside an inflatable moon walk.
“This is a really positive, family oriented event,” AMH nurse and nurse manager Sue Corey said. Corey is chair of the AMH Employee Events Committee that organized the picnic and various other events throughout the year.
The six-hour picnic featured food catered by Old Mill in Phelps and Poppy's Ice Cream, a disc jockey, inflatables from Auburn Party Rentals, a magician, face painting and other activities for children, a $500 raffle and a employee/manager softball game.
After more than 16 years without a picnic, the committee decided to resurrect the idea in late 2006 as a way to boost morale following a turbulent two years marked by million dollar loses and culminating in the hospital filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last year they held the first picnic since the early 1990s with the goal of making it, yet again, an annual tradition.
Much has changed a year later. Not only is the committee sure there will be a picnic every year, but a judge has cleared the hospital to emerge from bankruptcy later this summer. The hospital is in a better financial situation, besting gains made this time last year.
“There is a real lightened mood, in general,” committee member Marcia Mizro said. “So of course there's a lighter mood here now.”
Lynne French certainly spent Friday celebrating.
“I think now it's really a celebration of getting through the hard times,” said the critical care unit registered nurse, “Everything is going really well for the hospital. I've been here for 18 years, so I've seen the ups and downs at the hospital. Now we can celebrate.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
“I think this is a wonderful tribute for the hospital and staff for a job we do well,” she said. “It's a great place to work.”
The sunny disposition of employees and their families at the picnic held at the Owasco Fire Department station mirrored that of the cloudless blue sky above. Wide smiles and giggles of excitement from children permeated the back lawn at the fire station as the children slid down an inflatable slide or jumped sky-high inside an inflatable moon walk.
“This is a really positive, family oriented event,” AMH nurse and nurse manager Sue Corey said. Corey is chair of the AMH Employee Events Committee that organized the picnic and various other events throughout the year.
The six-hour picnic featured food catered by Old Mill in Phelps and Poppy's Ice Cream, a disc jockey, inflatables from Auburn Party Rentals, a magician, face painting and other activities for children, a $500 raffle and a employee/manager softball game.
After more than 16 years without a picnic, the committee decided to resurrect the idea in late 2006 as a way to boost morale following a turbulent two years marked by million dollar loses and culminating in the hospital filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last year they held the first picnic since the early 1990s with the goal of making it, yet again, an annual tradition.
Much has changed a year later. Not only is the committee sure there will be a picnic every year, but a judge has cleared the hospital to emerge from bankruptcy later this summer. The hospital is in a better financial situation, besting gains made this time last year.
“There is a real lightened mood, in general,” committee member Marcia Mizro said. “So of course there's a lighter mood here now.”
Lynne French certainly spent Friday celebrating.
“I think now it's really a celebration of getting through the hard times,” said the critical care unit registered nurse, “Everything is going really well for the hospital. I've been here for 18 years, so I've seen the ups and downs at the hospital. Now we can celebrate.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are 1 comment(s)
helloworld wrote on Jul 19, 2008 1:50 AM: