On December 16, 2021 the staff at the Patient Access Center for the Eye clinic (PACE) at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine held its fourth Patient Appreciation Day to celebrate the community they serve and provide care to. It was important, says PACE Clinic Supervisor Lisa Toon-Alexander, to give thanks to the patients, who are the heart of the clinic. “We wanted to show appreciation to our patients for allowing us to serve them, especially in the midst of a pandemic,” she says.

Adult patients were given a grab bag that included a snack, a thank you letter and a ticket to win a prize through one of several drawings held throughout the day. Pediatric patients were given a bag with a lollipop, crayons and a coloring book. In total, there were eight prizes awarded that day, including a box of chocolates.

“I’ve worked in a lot of different clinics and I have never known of one to do something like this,” says PACE Clinic Manager Shelley Casey. “The patients are behind everything we do and it’s worth taking a day out to remind them that we know that.”