On the actual anniversary hospital staff participated in a thanksgiving service as the final day of celebrations. My schedule has been so busy that I have not had time to get all of the celebrations up as they occurred. Now I will share some of the highlights of the last day's activities.
Throughout the history of the hospital the planting of trees has been done to mark special events. This is part of the reason the campus now has such beautiful trees where in the early days it was barren land.
The beginning of the thanksgiving service was the planting of trees by all of the former CEOs, special guests, and selected individuals from the staff. Here Dr. Santosh Benjamin, a general surgeon, plants his tree. Santosh was the surgeon who removed my gallbladder while we were in India. He is currently CEO of the CSI (Church of South India) Hospital here in Bangalore. Bangalore Baptist Hospital has a policy whereby staff are expected to retire at age 60. Thus Dr. Benjamin is now in the CSI Hospital. Not all the trees were planted as part of the ceremony, but by the next morning a total of 40 trees had been planted in various locations throughout the campus.
I plant my tree. Each of these is different and is a flowering tree. Note the plaque which identifies when the tree was planted and by whom.
After a walk across campus to the nursing school, the next portion of the program was the groundbreaking for new dormitory facilities for the nursing school. Here a group of students are joined by Benny and Carolyn Woods as they await the event.
Dr. Rebekah Naylor prepares to break ground for the new nursing dorm. The growth of the nursing school and other teaching programs has made house for students a major need on campus.
Activities for the afternoon then moved into the Smrithi Auditorium for a time of thanksgiving and celebration. One of the nursing school graduates, on the right, had taken the words of the stone placed in the entrance area of the original building, "I cam that they may have life..." and written a special anniversary song for the occasion. Here she and her team sing the song.
Members of the Administrative Committee, each representing a specific department of the hospital, lead the group in a time of responsive reading, thanking God for various accomplishments, new equipment, new facilities, and the ability to serve the community through their department. I have been so impressed with the quality of leadership from those on this committee
Additional gifts were presented to visitors. Here Col. Deepak Bunyan presents Mr. Bill Mason, former Hospital Administrator, with a copy of the "coffee table" book released earlier, another book on medical communication recently published by the hospital, and a diary developed for the anniversary. Col. Bunyan is retired military and head of support services for the hospital.
A section of the program, entitled "Down Memory Lane" allowed former staff and visitors to share brief memories of their time at Bangalore Baptist Hospital. Here Dr. Stanley Macaden shares memories of being the first Indian physician with specialty training hired by the hospital. He also served as the first Indian Hospital Administrator or CEO. Dr. Macaden has been responsible for the development of the palliative care department in the hospital.
The days of celebration brought together all former CEOs of the hospital with the exception of Mr. Phil White who was unable to attend. When I planned to attend the celebration my thoughts were mainly about my medical work. I had not realised that so much emphasis would be placed on my tenure as hospital administrator (in addition to working as a physician at the same time).
Following the group photo session, Dr. John Wikman led the group in a prayer session for the future of the hospital and its leaders. This was particularly appropriate as Dr. Alex Thomas, the current CEO, is up to retire in March of this year. It is unknown whether or not the board will ask him to stay longer or bring a new leader into this critical position.
Throughout the history of the hospital the planting of trees has been done to mark special events. This is part of the reason the campus now has such beautiful trees where in the early days it was barren land.
The beginning of the thanksgiving service was the planting of trees by all of the former CEOs, special guests, and selected individuals from the staff. Here Dr. Santosh Benjamin, a general surgeon, plants his tree. Santosh was the surgeon who removed my gallbladder while we were in India. He is currently CEO of the CSI (Church of South India) Hospital here in Bangalore. Bangalore Baptist Hospital has a policy whereby staff are expected to retire at age 60. Thus Dr. Benjamin is now in the CSI Hospital. Not all the trees were planted as part of the ceremony, but by the next morning a total of 40 trees had been planted in various locations throughout the campus.
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I plant my tree. Each of these is different and is a flowering tree. Note the plaque which identifies when the tree was planted and by whom.
After a walk across campus to the nursing school, the next portion of the program was the groundbreaking for new dormitory facilities for the nursing school. Here a group of students are joined by Benny and Carolyn Woods as they await the event.
Dr. Rebekah Naylor prepares to break ground for the new nursing dorm. The growth of the nursing school and other teaching programs has made house for students a major need on campus.
Activities for the afternoon then moved into the Smrithi Auditorium for a time of thanksgiving and celebration. One of the nursing school graduates, on the right, had taken the words of the stone placed in the entrance area of the original building, "I cam that they may have life..." and written a special anniversary song for the occasion. Here she and her team sing the song.
Members of the Administrative Committee, each representing a specific department of the hospital, lead the group in a time of responsive reading, thanking God for various accomplishments, new equipment, new facilities, and the ability to serve the community through their department. I have been so impressed with the quality of leadership from those on this committee
Additional gifts were presented to visitors. Here Col. Deepak Bunyan presents Mr. Bill Mason, former Hospital Administrator, with a copy of the "coffee table" book released earlier, another book on medical communication recently published by the hospital, and a diary developed for the anniversary. Col. Bunyan is retired military and head of support services for the hospital.
A section of the program, entitled "Down Memory Lane" allowed former staff and visitors to share brief memories of their time at Bangalore Baptist Hospital. Here Dr. Stanley Macaden shares memories of being the first Indian physician with specialty training hired by the hospital. He also served as the first Indian Hospital Administrator or CEO. Dr. Macaden has been responsible for the development of the palliative care department in the hospital.
The days of celebration brought together all former CEOs of the hospital with the exception of Mr. Phil White who was unable to attend. When I planned to attend the celebration my thoughts were mainly about my medical work. I had not realised that so much emphasis would be placed on my tenure as hospital administrator (in addition to working as a physician at the same time).
Following the group photo session, Dr. John Wikman led the group in a prayer session for the future of the hospital and its leaders. This was particularly appropriate as Dr. Alex Thomas, the current CEO, is up to retire in March of this year. It is unknown whether or not the board will ask him to stay longer or bring a new leader into this critical position.
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