In the vestibule of Mercy hospital staff gathered, on Friday, to remember a facility that had been a key part of life in Independence, Kansas. A statue of the Virgin Mary stood in the entryway, to welcome patients, to comfort family members waiting on loved ones. On Friday, the only comfort to be offered was to staff, who walked throughout the entry way, looking through photobooks of patients who had been touched by their work.
Two tables were laid out with photos and news clippings. Mothers holding newborns and friendly notes from patients who had written back to the hospital and staff to commend staff on their care. The hospital hadn’t been home to newborns in some time, as the wind down had been coming along for months, but nurses had fond memories of smiling parents and anxious fathers.