"PPE Works" has been a motto in the Epi and Occ Health teams for years. This took on more meaning at the onset of the pandemic, and has been routinely said in the Command Center, and subsequently more widely adopted throughout the organization. There were so many unknowns and so much fear, especially at the start of the pandemic, that we often grounded ourselves by saying "PPE Works"; that has proven to be the case, not just in the hospital, but in our communities as well.

We wanted to create something to remind our team of this unprecedented, historic, global pandemic that we have been successfully navigating together. It is truly something we will be able to tell our children and grandchildren about ~ what a crazy time to work in Occ Health! Donna actually created a cross stitch template of a similar design that she was going to make as a Christmas gift for Chris Nyquist, but realized a.) she did not have a lot of spare time to be cross stitching, and b.) there were many people on our Epi team and in the Command Center that she would also like to give something to as a token of her appreciation during the holidays. So, she decided to mass produce something. She sent her very rudimentary designs for the PPE Works to her dear friend, who bedazzled them into the beautiful designs for the final product. The medicine cap art is a super FUN extension of that, and displaying it is a good reminder to us all that we have a responsibility to protect ourselves and each other ~ both at work and in our communities. This pandemic isn't over yet!