St. Francis Hospital’s cafeteria was filled with Christmas cheer on Dec. 17 as staff and their families waited their turn for a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The visit from the icons of the holiday spirit was brought by former patient Cheri Robinson, who represented Mrs. Claus along with her husband, Michael Robinson, who embodied the Santa Claus role.
Robinson underwent surgery in November 2023 at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma and was so grateful to the staff that she brought her and her husband’s holiday tradition to the staff there.
This year, the Federal Way team at St. Francis had the opportunity to participate.
Robinson told the Mirror that her and her husband often dress up as the holiday icons when they go to California for Christmas to visit family there, but hadn’t done it much here at home until after the surgery.
They’re happy to go “wherever we can go to give back joy,” Robinson said.
While there were plenty of kids who wanted to talk to Santa and Mrs. Claus, many staff members also came to the event to enjoy the festive fun.
Tuscano Thomson and Andy Nguyen are two hospitalists who had spent their day taking care of patients in the ICU before they stopped by the festivities. Thomson said their team’s focus that day had been “stabilizing them, making sure that they’re getting the best care that we can get, trying to get them home as soon as possible before the holidays.”
Thomson told the Mirror that fun events like this one “definitely elevates the mood, definitely cheers you up,” and that as a doctor, “the better the mood, the better it translates to your care, to everybody else.”
“Having this cheer, hopefully we can help the patients get happier too,” Thomson said.
The two posed for a photo before heading back to work.
Tamara Marshall is also a staff member who had the chance to enjoy the event, and was a patient there for 18 years before she became an employee there two years ago.
She brought her two adult children, who also got in on the fun.
“I love the event because I’m a big kid at heart, but what I love the most about working here at this hospital is the community, the unity, the family … we all feel like it’s like one big family with the patients, with the co-workers, everything,” Marshall said.
She agreed with the powerful impact that positive events like that one can have on the staff.
“It makes a huge difference because if your workers or your employees are happy, then it is projected to the patient, the patient feels that kindness. It all starts from the top and trickles on down, so it plays a huge part in our engagement with the patients,” Marshall said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
A young visitor gives a Christmas cookie to Santa at St. Francis Hospital. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Hospital director Joe Brown enjoys the festivities at their Santa and Mrs. Claus holiday event. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror
Hospitalists Tuscano Thomson and Andy Nguyen take a break from their work to pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.
