Behind every brick at Wayne UNC Health Care is a story.
Each signifies a moment in the lives of the families who have passed through its doors.
For 125 years, the rooms and hallways of the hospital’s many locations have been filled with the sounds of joyous new beginnings and heartfelt goodbyes.
They have witnessed second chances and selfless gifts of sacrifice to allow someone else the opportunity to start again.
Tragedy has been there, sure. But so, too, have miracles — plenty of them.
And in every story, in every moment, star the men and women who, for generations, have worked to make the impossible possible, who have celebrated when the news was good and comforted when there was nothing left to do but pray.
In the end, it is not the bricks, buildings, new construction, fancy new medical equipment, state-of-the-art technology or the sign out front that matter.
They help, of course, as care evolves and gets better and better and makes it possible for more lives to be saved.
But the heart of Wayne UNC is its people.
It’s always been the people.
It is the team that puts patients first and takes medical ingenuity, technology and breakthroughs and turns them into positive outcomes.
It is the administrators and board members who fought to make sure the budgets were balanced and the doors stayed open — and who took care of the facility entrusted to them and made sure it would be there for the next generation.
It is the connections between local doctors and surgeons to their fellow practitioners at UNC Chapel Hill who look for the best way, the newest treatments and the technology and diagnostic tools necessary to save lives.
It is about putting patients first, about doing everything possible and then reaching for the impossible.
It is about treating every patient who comes through the door like family. It is about caring, giving everything you have because each life matters, every family matters.
It is about caring for a community.
Generations of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, technicians, pharmacists and emergency personnel have answered this community’s calls, day and night.
Medicine is not a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. And this past year and a half, it has been anything but.
Those who put on their personal protective equipment and headed to work during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop to worry about their own lives, their own risks.
They were there for their community because their community needed them.
And right next to them, as they are every day, were the people who help make the hospital run smoothly — those who do the cleaning, the repairs, the food preparation, keep the patients and staff secure and those who do the other tasks that need to be done not just every day, but every hour.
That is the team that makes Wayne UNC Health Care what it is — a community-based healthcare facility with the resources of a world class medical team and the heart of a hometown medical practice.
And those who have cared for it, who have guided it, who have made it what it is today, are carrying on a tradition of sorts, answering a calling.
So now, as Wayne UNC prepares to begin its 125th anniversary celebration, the hospital team and its board of directors are asking you to tell your stories.
They want to hear how this hospital, your hospital, has been part of your life and your family’s lives.
You can go to the Wayne UNC’s website, www.125wayne.org, and share your memories.
Were generations of your family born there? Share your story.
Did an Emergency Department team bring your father or mother back home to you? Tell that story.
Are you here after an accident or sudden illness because of the dedication of a doctor or nursing team? Let them know you are grateful.
Do you call yourself a cancer survivor because your medical team never gave up hope — or let you give up? Honor that commitment.
There are so many stories to tell. Make sure you share yours.
And Wayne UNC will introduce you to some of its heroes, too, honoring those who have partnered with the hospital to bring quality care to the people of Wayne County for more than a century.
You will see some new faces — and recognize and honor some who have been in our community for decades.
And you will be proud to acknowledge what they have accomplished — and maybe a little surprised, too.
There are not many communities these days that have a hospital of this quality right in their own back yard.
Wayne UNC is the next step, the next evolution of bringing the best care to the people of this community.
For 125 years, it has been about family here.
So as Wayne UNC marks its 125th anniversary, it is sure to be a joyous year of reminiscing, remembering and thanking those who have made it all possible.
And it will be time to remember just how fortunate we are as a community to have such great care right here.
Just take a look at the website. Events and activities will be unfolding in Wayne County for the rest of the year that will bring people together and celebrate an organization that deserves so much more than anything we can offer.
Our participation is the least we can do to start the applause.
