Hospitals Launch “Great Kindness Challenge”

Employees at Dignity Health's three hospitals in Arizona, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers are being challenged to perform 50 Acts of Kindness during the week. The 50 range from; buying a hospital visitor lunch, to collecting books for the local library, to running errands for a co-worker.

Three major hospitals in the Valley are participating in the "Great Kindness Challenge" this week with doctors, nurses and other staff joining in the Dignity Health project designed to improve the health and wellbeing in the community through acts of kindness.

Additionally, Dignity Health is sponsoring the Kids for Peace annual Great Kindness Challenge in local schools in order to inspire students to take on a commitment to service and kindness. Since 2008, Kids for Peace, a non-profit organization has been leading the event nationally. Students at more than 30 participating Arizona schools are being encouraged to carry out 50 Acts of Kindness this week.

The Great Kindness Challenge comes on the heels of a national branding campaign by Dignity Health, formerly Catholic Healthcare West, that revolves around the concept of "Hello Humankindness." The campaign has an extensive community reach, encouraging kindness from individuals and other organizations, as well as Dignity Health's own staff.

"Kindness drives every interaction with the people we serve and is the foundation of our mission of healing," says Linda Hunt, President and CEO of Dignity Health in Arizona. "We want our employees to focus on how we practice humankindness every day in our hospitals with our patients, physicians and each other. It should be fun and rewarding."

Contact: Lynne Reaves  602.406.4734