Published on December 14, 2023
Jingle Jam Spreads Holiday Cheer to OHRH Patients, Team Members
Patient Kenneth Stewart was already having an outstanding experience at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, but when a bluegrass trio stopped by his 5th-floor room to play Christmas carols, the Hopkins County resident was even more amazed by the kindness he was witnessing.
“Everyone here has been an angel—the aides, the food staff, all the nurses…just top-notch care,” Stewart said. “Then to have Christmas carols sung right in my room—it just lifted my spirits even more.”
The bluegrass trio of Wayne Morris, Sarah Malone and 11-year-old Parker Malone was one of two groups that toured OHRH on Tuesday as part of Randy Lanham’s Jingle Jam series. The musicians visited patient rooms, nurses’ stations and even hallways singing holiday favorites like “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”
“We just love putting smiles on people’s faces and bringing joy,” Morris said.
The Jingle Jam experience was coordinated by Pastoral Care Director Travis Williams as part of the Music On Call initiative, which aims to fill the hospital with music and art during the holiday season. OHRH’s December lineup has featured a string quartet from Owensboro Symphony, professional pianists in the lobby almost every day, and Christmas carolers from local elementary schools.
“Our commitment is to foster an artistic culture that feels native to Owensboro,” Williams said. “Owensboro Health should reflect what is unique to Owensboro, and holiday music is an integral part of that culture.”
After the Jingle Jam crew played an impromptu concert at her unit’s nursing station, Manager Ariel Ross, said she appreciates the way music sparks team members as well as patients.
“I just love this, because it’s so much fun,” she said. “It uplifts moods and gets everyone cheerful, and many patients tell us they really appreciate it.”
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.