Donna Anderson

Text version of Donna Anderson's keynote remarks

Good morning, my name is Donna Anderson, and I am a registered nurse and clinical director at St. Joseph Health Center - Wentzville. 
I work with children age 7 to 17. Most of them come from poor areas in southeast Missouri. Many have either been removed from the custody of their parents, or their parents are unable to care for them anymore. They often come to us with only the clothes they are wearing.

Many of them face very severe challenges.  They may be angry about being admitted – and their anger is directed at our staff. They may feel abandoned by the adults in their lives and have made up their minds not to trust anyone -- especially our staff.

We have had tragic events happen to some of our children, while others have gone on to lead positive and rewarding lives.  However, we usually don’t know if we’ve helped them improve their quality of life. When we get a letter from a former patient telling us about their graduation from high school or that they have been reunited with their family, it makes it so much easier to go on doing what we do.

I feel I am representing our whole exceptional treatment team here and telling our story. I truly believe that the SSM Mission is projected every day on our unit and that if you visited us, you would be able to observe the SSM Values at any time.

We show COMPASSION by being non-judgmental and accepting each child for who they are. We RESPECT each child regardless of their circumstances or background. Our treatment team demonstrates EXCELLENCE by working with the children to improve the quality of their lives. And we show STEWARDSHIP by providing a safe and healthy environment.

Last is COMMUNITY.  The St. Joe’s Health Center community has come together to help our unit many times. Several years ago the Foundation held a benefit that allowed us to improve our educational material.  Every day, employees bring in clothes for the children who have nothing to wear. They bring birthday cakes for children who are hospitalized during their birthday with no family to bring them a cake.

During Christmas, we feel a strong sense of community. The St. Joe’s Aulixilary has adopted our unit for the last 3 years, providing numerous gifts for the children. . . and one of our physicians brings in gifts, as well.  Last year the Mission Awareness Team sang Christmas carols on our unit. 

There is no greater joy than hearing a child say it was the best Christmas he ever had. To me, that speaks volumes about our patients — when they say a Christmas in the hospital was their best Christmas ever. . . . .Through their acts of generosity, the SSM community has shown these children that they are important.

We touch the lives of our patients for only a few days or weeks, but we trust that our investment and our commitment will reap long-term benefits. At any rate, that’s our hope. We are extremely proud of our opportunity to serve these children and to promote our mission and values.

Orpah Winfrey recently said that she started her school in Africa because American children had a sense of entitlement. We believe all children are entitled to the values of compassion, respect, excellence, stewardship, community. We also believe that, despite their challenges, the children we serve are worth our time, our energy and our commitment. It is our hope that – with every one of our children, in some way -- we reveal the healing presence of God.