Appreciation from the community took the form of cookies and hand-written notes for staff at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center recently.

UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center employees take a celebratory photo with the cookies packets they received as a thank-you in January. Courtesy photo.

“The SRMC community board wanted to give a morale boost to 600 hospital employees who’ve endured the pandemic ordeal and recent Omicron surge,” said Richard Draper, Sandoval Health Collaborative program manager.

The SRMC Patient and Community Advisory Board worked with Sandoval Health Collaborative, Rio Rancho Public Schools, Rio Rancho volunteer group Just Serve, the City of Rio Rancho’s Senior Services Division and Placitas volunteer group Jardineros de Placitas to bake 1,800 cookies, bag them and attach hand-written notes to each bag, Draper said in an email.

RRPS food vendor Southwest Food Service baked cookies fresh, while district students, senior citizens, Just Serve, Jardineros, Sandoval Health Collaborative and SRMC community board members wrote their own sentiments on each card. Digital Creations in Rio Rancho donated the 600 4-by-6-inch cards.

“It was all put together and done in less than three weeks,” Draper said. “Rio Rancho and Sandoval County really come through at times and occasions like these.”

This is one of the bags of cookies with attached thank-you note SRMC employees received in January. Courtesy photo.

Cookie bags were delivered in late January and distributed by SRMC.

“We would like to thank and recognize our Sandoval Regional Medical Center Patient and Community Advisory Board and the many businesses and wonderful volunteers who helped develop 600 homemade cookie bags and personal notes,” said hospital CEO Jamie Silva-Steele. “Each member of our team was able to receive this very generous gift and was very appreciative of this kind gesture.”