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Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin Honors Its Nursing and Facility Staff for Providing High-Quality, Compassionate Care

Facility Events Celebrate Both “National Nurses Week” and “National Skilled Nursing Care Week”

May 22, 2023

Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin has honored its nurses during National Nurses Week for the vital roles they have played during the past year in providing compassionate care to facility residents.

Then, the following week, all of the facility's staff were celebrated for delivering high-quality care to hundreds of Illinois' seniors and individuals with disabilities during National Skilled Nursing Care Week.

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday.  While nurses are appreciated throughout the year, this week is designated for special events to mark the contributions they make to their community.

Right after National Nurses Week is the annual observance of National Skilled Nursing Care Week, May 14 to May 20. Established in 1967 by the American Health Care Association, the celebration week this year has adopted the theme “Cultivating Kindness,” recognizing the compassion provided at skilled nursing facilities when improving health and strengthening human connections.

“Watching the countless acts of kindness that take place every day in our center, I am both grateful and amazed by our staff, who seem to personify compassion as well as competence,” said Carol Williams, CEO/administrator of Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin. “Not only is our skilled nursing care facility committed to providing a high level of care for our residents at all times, but our staff is especially sensitive to residents' need for one-on-one social connections.”

Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin marked the two, week-long celebrations with several special activities:

• A week-long appreciation of gifts and treats, including steak dinners for the nurses
• Nurses were given chair massages, and a big gift bag full of goodies for each nurse.
• Facility staff had a super hero theme day, complete with costumes.

“We show appreciation for our nursing staff and facility colleagues every day but especially during nurses and skilled nursing care weeks,” Williams added. “They are a huge part of our residents' lives and vital pieces of our building.”

About National Nurses Week

To acknowledge the contributions of nurses and call attention to their working conditions, the International Council of Nurses established May 12 as International Nurses Day in 1974. The celebration was extended to a week a few years later, and National Nurses Week was officially born in 1994. Sponsored and promoted by the American Nurses Association, the week-long event highlights the crucial contributions that nurses make to the community.

About National Skilled Nursing Care Week

National Skilled Nursing Care Week recognizes the essential role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America's elderly and disabled. The week-long observance starts each year on Mother's Day and is celebrated through the following Saturday.

About Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin is a 67-bed skilled nursing facility in Pekin, Ill., providing long-term care, short-term care, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physical therapy, rehab-to-home, speech therapy, hospice care, respite care, and long term care needs . The center is currently accepting new admissions for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care. For further information, please contact Jackie Walker at (309)840-8638 or visit the Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin website at www.hallmarkpekin.com.