St. Joseph’s Medical Center Holds Blessing of the Rigs for Local First Responders

(STOCKTON, CA) October 29, 2024 – Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center (SJMC) held their third annual Blessing of the Rigs & Responders event on Monday, October 28th, in recognition of National First Responders Day.

SJMC offered a county-wide invitation to all city and county fire, police, sheriff and highway patrol departments, and county ambulance companies to attend. Festivities entailed an interfaith blessing of the vehicles and first responders, which also included specialty units and motorcycles. 

"Our first responders demonstrate humankindness daily and today we are delighted to celebrate them,” said Tammy Shaff, Director of Community Health with St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “As our partners in health on the frontlines, we are grateful for the sacrifice they make to serve the community and to make San Joaquin County a safer and healthier place for all."

Nearly 90 first responders attended, with Chaplains from the Spiritual Services Department performing the blessings for the first responders and their respective rigs. In addition to the blessing, each first responder received lunch and a token to show appreciation from SJMC, in addition to having the opportunity to enter a raffle, with prizes donated by local businesses.

For more information on St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s Community Health programs, please visit here.

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About St. Joseph’s Medical Center 
Dignity Health St. Joseph's Medical Center is a not-for-profit, fully accredited, regional hospital with 355 beds, a physician staff of over 700, and more than 2,700 employees. Specializing in cardiovascular care, comprehensive cancer services, and women and children's services, St. Joseph's is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. As a Sponsoring Institution for Graduate Medical Education, St. Joseph’s supports rapidly growing educational programs for both resident physicians and medical students. In addition to being nationally recognized as a quality leader, St. Joseph's is consistently chosen as the "most preferred hospital" by local consumers. St. Joseph's is the largest hospital, as well as one of the largest private employers in San Joaquin County. Founded in 1899 by Fr. William O'Connor and administered by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, St. Joseph's continues to lead the region in medical innovation. St. Joseph's Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health/CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system with care sites across 21 states dedicated to advancing health for all people. For more information, please visit DignityHealth.org/Stockton.