Darrin Cassidy, Guest blogger- Working on Thanksgiving

This week I have invited Darrin Cassidy, Patient Services Supervisor at Lahey Hospital and Medical center to blog about his experience working on Thanksgiving. One can truly feel Darrin's commitment in putting our patient at the heart of everything we do in this article.


The holidays are generally associated with family, friends, and food. The subjects of family and community are prevalent during Thanksgiving, and I suspect this can make our patients feel especially lonely. One may think going to work the least desirable destination during this festive time. I’ve found the opposite to be true.

Some days we may forget just how important this building we call work actually is. Patients come to Lahey Health to be healed. They come sick, vulnerable, and scared. This anxiety must be multiplied during the holiday season. At a time when most are breaking bread with their families and trading stories, patients have the misfortune of missing out on these cherished moments. It is on these days our compassion as an organization must be at its strongest. The kindness of a stranger is a powerful thing. Making a positive impact on even one patient is a good feeling that stays with you a long time.

I’ve been at Lahey Health since 2006. I was merely seventeen when I worked my first shift. I remember when my former supervisor informed me I would be here on Thanksgiving, my shift beginning at the same time my family was scheduled to feast. I was not happy. But when I got here we brought countless turkey dinners to our patients. Nearly every patient was eager for a visitor. They were just as happy to have somebody to talk to as they were for their meal. A person’s spirit can be uplifted in these brief moments of human connection, and there’s no better time than during the holidays, when a patient misses their family and friends.

Although it may not be ideal to work during Thanksgiving, we should try and approach this day with more optimism and more compassion. Simply take the time to ask our patients how they’re doing and wish them well. We should be thankful for our health and do our best to make those less fortunate than us as comfortable as possible while they are with us, especially on holidays, and we should take pride in our ability to do so. These minor interactions have a major impact, and that’s the very definition of thanksgiving.


Darrin Cassidy
Patient Services Supervisor