Over 4,000 NYC hospital workers surprised with free vacations in recognition of their services

After weeks of mentally and physically grueling work, the entire staff of a hospital in the epicenter of the country's fight against the pandemic received a wonderful surprise this past weekend. Over 4,000 hospital staff—including doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and facilities and foodservice teams—at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst were on Friday surprised with free vacations in recognition of their efforts against the current global health crisis. Hyatt and American Airlines joined forces to treat the frontline workers with free round trip flights and three-night complimentary vacations in select destinations across the U.S. and Caribbean "to help them recharge and reconnect with their loved ones" once the situation improves.

According to a press release by American Airlines, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst—a public hospital in Queens—serves an area of nearly one million people in one of the most socio-economically diverse communities in the U.S. It is among the hardest hit hospitals in the fight against the novel Coronavirus, having increased its Intensive Care Units (ICU) capacity by 500% in response to the crisis. As of Monday morning, over 335,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 26,600 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in New York according to a tally by John Hopkins University. 

Elmhurst staff has been working around the clock to treat the overwhelming number of Coronavirus cases since the pandemic took hold of New York City. However, like healthcare workers around the country, severe shortages in personal protective equipment and ventilators have added to their stress as they face a high risk of contracting the virus. Moreover, they've also had to worry about transferring it to friends and loved ones. "Every worker at Elmhurst has seen and experienced challenges many of us cannot imagine. They’ve given so much of themselves and chose to serve their community with care, compassion, and equity for every patient," Robert Isom, President of American Airlines, said in a statement.

"When they are able to take a break, we hope the time away will help them and their loved ones recharge and that they feel our deepest appreciation for their sacrifice and heroism," he added. Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt, praised healthcare workers' dedication to saving lives, saying: "At Hyatt, everything we do is fueled by our purpose of care and when opportunities like this present themselves we are inspired to act. We’ve heard from so many of our colleagues and members who simply want to do some good and find a way to share their gratitude for some of the heroes of this pandemic in one of the hardest-hit areas of New York."

"We are humbled by the health care workers’ dedication to saving lives. Now it’s our turn to take care of them like members of our own family, and we look forward to making their stays special when they are able to take a hard-earned break," Hoplamazian added. Thanking the American Airlines and Hyatt for the heartwarming gesture, Israel Rocha, Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, said: "We are extremely grateful to Hyatt and American Airlines for this generous gift to our health care workers, who have been at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Our doctors, nurses, and other staff on the front lines of this unprecedented health care crisis really appreciate the outpouring of support from two of America’s major companies, and we look forward to taking advantage of these well-earned vacations in the near future," he added. This initiative is reportedly the "largest total flight count ever provided to an organization" by American Airlines.