Last Thursday morning, Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club Executive Chef Chris Sozio and his culinary team made a special delivery of lovingly prepared meals, which were being given to the staff at the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital Laboratory Department.
The lab employees would be enjoying a gourmet salad of chicken and summer vegetables tossed with a white balsamic vinaigrette. And to sweeten the deal, Sozio snuck in some of their famous chocolate chip cookies.
“We live in the community. Our families and our members are all part of this community, and we appreciate everything they do here at the hospital and the long hours they put in,” said Sozio, as he and Rob Tench, Orchid Island general manager, dropped off the meals.
The unexpected lunch was made possible by Orchid Island members who wanted to show their appreciation for the tireless efforts of the hospital’s lab staff during the pandemic.
“The team here at the hospital has been under an incredible amount of stress. They do such a great job for our community. This is just a small token of gratitude from the Orchid Island members,” added Tench. “Our members are so happy to be able to help in a small way. We want to thank the doctors, the nurses and all the support staff that take care of the health of this whole community. We are fortunate to have Dr. Greg Rosencrance leading the team.”
“We’re all in the same storm,” said Rosencrance, CEO of CCIRH. “The support from Orchid Island and the community for our caregivers means so much. They have been dealing with this pandemic for over 18 months and this is the fourth surge.”
Although lesser known, the medical professionals in the lab department play a critical role at the hospital, one that has become particularly burdensome with the pandemic and the testing of COVID samples.
“It’s really important for people to understand what we do in the lab. Without us they can’t treat the patients,” said Melanie Nevins, laboratory director. “To know that the community wants to recognize us in this way is very uplifting. It’s boosted the morale of our team.”
Laboratory manager James Harper shared that when they made the announcement during the team huddle that Orchid Island would be bringing them a special lunch, the staff actually cheered.
“It’s a breath of fresh air. It’s wonderful when things like this happen,” said Harper. “There’s a lot of COVID fatigue going on with the group and they’ve really been stretched thin.”
Photos by Kaila Jones
