FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For National Hospital Week, the community is taking action together to thank folks in the medical field for working tirelessly to take care of our communities, especially amid a worldwide pandemic.
"I can tell you that this past year was probably the toughest year in my career," said Paula Jordan, Director of Surgical Services at St. Agnes Medical Center.
Paula Jordan has worked in the medical field for 40 years and says she would never switch jobs, even after an unprecedented worldwide pandemic.
"We are all very grateful, and I think appreciative of what we do, and this year has just really been one of those years where we say 'yeah, we are in it for the right reasons.'"
Monday morning, St. Agnes Medical Center hosted their annual pancake breakfast for National Hospital Week, and many say this year, there's something special about it.
"We have seen such an extraordinary unity of our staff here, and you can see it in the patients that they serve and the families who were so appreciative," said Terri Amerine, Vice President of Foundation and Volunteer Services.
The North Fresno Rotary Club Volunteered to flip and serve the pancakes for the first time. Although it's been hard to volunteer amid COVID-19, they say what better way to get back into it than to serve breakfast for the doctors, nurses, and every hospital staff member working nonstop for their community.
"They worked endless nights, going home worried about their own safety, their families safety but still came to work. It's an honor to serve them and be here today," said Michael Rabara, President of North Fresno Rotary Club
Amerine, whose worked at the hospital since 1988, says it's these simple acts of gratitude that make all the difference.
"I think it's just that extra thank you, that extra pat in the back that really goes a long way. If not for healthcare workers, we wonder where we would be," she said.
A breakfast and a thank you, Jordan says, will never get old.
"It's great that we are able to be here, celebrate and start to feel a little normalcy in life," said Jordan.