The holidays may be over, but it’s always the right time to recognize how Temple Health employees go above and beyond for their patients.
That’s exactly what TUH-Episcopal Campus and Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital team members—led by Senior Nurse Manager Wendy Campbell—did when they prepared Thanksgiving meals at home, then brought them in to serve on our Behavioral Health units.
“The holidays can be a difficult time for Behavioral Health patients, especially those who don’t have family or support systems outside the hospital,” Campbell explains. “Receiving a home-cooked meal helps patients realize they’re not alone: we’re here, and we care about them.”
Campbell started the tradition before arriving at Temple Health, and brought it with her when she joined Episcopal in 2018. “At the beginning, staff were bringing in a few dishes,” she says. “Now, we make a full Thanksgiving meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rice and beans, cranberry sauce, five cheese mac ‘n cheese, and salad, plus apple, pumpkin, and sweet potato pie.”
“The response is so heartwarming,” says Episcopal Mental Health Technician (and aspiring chef) Darnell Harris, who provides the famous mac ‘n cheese. “Our patients always look forward to it, and when new staff come on the units, they make sure they know, ‘We’re going to be getting a home-cooked meal!’”
Expanding a Meaningful Tradition
Campbell recently moved to Chestnut Hill Hospital to oversee its Senior Behavioral Health Unit—and once again, she carried on the tradition at a new location.
“Everyone at Chestnut Hill was so happy to do this,” Campbell shares. “They knew the impact it was going to have on our patients, and they said they’d never seen such a positive response. Two of our visitors even told us, ‘My mom can’t stop talking about what you did for Thanksgiving.”
It’s all part of Campbell’s—and Temple’s—holistic approach to Behavioral Health. “We’re not just cooking a meal,” she explains. “It’s part of creating a therapeutic environment. To heal, your mind and body need to feel safe and secure, and we want to do everything we can to make that happen. A homemade Thanksgiving meal lets our patients know, ‘You might be away from home, but you’re still loved.’”