AAPL MEMBERS DOCTORS’ DAY IDEAS
April 2007
 Low cost and very much appreciated is children's artwork displayed throughout the hospital. We
approached local schools early in the year -- current topic for kids has been "How Doctors Make a
Difference." Docs love it -- especially cute if the children have parents that are physicians. Another
hospital in our area chose not to give doc gifts this year but instead donated monies to tornado recovery in
our area.
 We always give gifts to the physicians…this year it was a wood utensil grill set in black canvas bag
suitable for hanging on the grill. We also do made-to-order omelets in the doctor’s lounges for breakfast
and for lunch we cater in sushi and Indian food. (We have a very culturally diverse medical staff).
 We do the usual- a nice breakfast and lunch with a gift. However, with our distinct location on the
water, we have a larger party for them in May when the weather is nice. We have it outside on the
beach/pier with a band and seafood. It is really nice and well attended. Casual dress, spouses included.
 Breakfast in the physician lounge. Car detailing gift certificates.
 Breakfast in the physician lounge. Full-page ad in the newspaper acknowledging all active staff
members and their years of service.
 In the past some type of competition such as putting green or small basketball goal, etc. This year was a
take off of the new TV show “are you smarter than a 5th grader” – all participants got to put their name in
the box for prize drawings such as tickets to the Aquarium, the Children’s Museum, coupons for Barnes
& Noble. Upgraded food was served.
 We washed the outside of our physician's cars on doctor's day. This was a huge success. We had a
mobile car wash service on site. The best part was we had many department directors / managers
involved in drying cars. The physicians LOVED it.
 Car Washes was one – went over well – I negotiated with a local car wash for 70% off the going rate for
a full car wash…
 Staff members wrote special notes about docs on slips of paper the hospital printed up. The notes were
posted on boards and placed in the front lobby on easels. Initially the boards were just up for Doctors’
Day but are now left in the physician lounge for a week so all can see. The notes were then given to the
docs that were written about. Breakfast and lunch was served in the physician lounge. The nursing units
brought in goodies.
 We offered breakfast in all physician lounges as we have in the past. In addition, this year we had lunch
also. In the entrance hall to the hospital, we had "a wall of thanks" on which we placed thank you notes
written by members of the hospital staff. There were hundreds of thank you notes, handwritten on note
cards hung on the wall. (We made certain that all members of the staff received at least two notes). The
notes were alphabetized so that they could be found. It was amazing to see the excitement of the medical
staff finding and reading their notes. This year, rather than a selected gift of our choosing, we gave each
physician a boxed and wrapped package containing Chamber of Commerce gift certificates which they
can use at any of approx. 50 businesses in the community. This way, they can go out to eat, take the
family to the movie, get their oil changed, put gas in the car, etc., however they might choose. We also
ran a full-page thank you AD in the local newspapers which listed all their names and a collage of photo
screened on our hospital logo.
 This year we “rolled out the red carpet” for our physicians….literally. We had an Oscar theme. I rented
red carpet and stanchions that led to the physician’s dining room. We had our staff nominate the
physicians for “Oscars.” We had little Oscar awards engraved with their name and the food was
amazing! Everyone said this Doctor’s Day was the best yet!
Menu
Breakfast
Omelet Station
Pancake Station
Assorted Pastries & Muffins
Fresh Fruit Display
Lunch
Asian Caesar Salad with Assorted Sushi
Shrimp Cocktail Martini’s
Oysters Rockefeller
Stone Crab Claws with Mustard Sauce
Potato Croquettes w/ Crème fraîche & Caviar
Beef Tenderloin Carving Station
On the Hot bar
Lobster Thermidor
Green & White Asparagus Bundles
Roasted Truffle Potatoes
Saffron Rice Pilaf
Dessert
Assorted Petit fors
Canolis
Mini Pecan Tartlets
One of our sister hospitals did a Mexican chili pepper theme. They said “Our docs are hot!”
 This year for Doctors’ Day we tried to tie in diversity. We hosted “Physician Olympics”. We had flags
from various countries standing around the room. We used black linen tablecloths and black chairs and
used mini flags as the centerpieces. I had our med staff office generate a list of where all the physicians
were born. That helped me determine which flags to display. We also displayed an Olympic flag on one
of the walls. I downloaded the Olympic theme song multiple times and had it playing as the day went on.
We displayed a world map on the wall and stuck a pin in all the cities around the world that our
physicians were born in. I used a statement like “AMH has a diverse patient population as well as a
diverse medical staff. Check out where your colleagues were born” and displayed the map underneath.
What a conversation piece. The doctors loved it. For the Olympic games, we rented basketball, darts, a
football toss and we had a golfing activity. We awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Gave away free
rounds of golf and golf balls etc to winners. Also catered a breakfast and served 12 oz steak, baked potato
and asparagus in their dining area.
 We provide a special breakfast, lunch and have numerous door prizes. We also mail each physician on
medical staff a car wash coupon since some of our physicians are not able to leave their practices to come
to the hospital for the breakfast or lunch (we have 1,200 physicians on medical staff). We order special
table linens and flower arrangements for the tables. One year, we gave each physician a red carnation, but
that did not go over well. Our physicians did not want the flowers........surgeons were in scrubs and the
other physicians did not want us to pin them on or take them to their office. We have not offered it since.
We may try a contest of some sort next year.
 We added Sushi (a chef and staff from a local restaurant) to the menu and it was a huge hit. The docs
are still talking about it. Also, we had hospital staff write a couple of sentences on what they appreciate
and like about any doctor. We collected hundreds and then placed them on stars and frames throughout
the hospital and put them into a power point presentation. We played the pp on our plasma screens and a
large screen during their lunch celebration.
 I had hot breakfast & luncheon served in their lounge for them and a raffle with prizes to a nice
restaurant. I'm thinking next year I'm going to add an ice cream social. I also heard that another area
hospital did a "movie" with all the staff in the hospital saying Thank you to the doctors and played it in
the lounge repeatedly all day. I thought that was a nice idea if you have a budget!
 This year we had chefs from a local restaurant come and make made-to-order omelets for the docs.
They also provided a wonderful tray of fruits and bakery goods. We used real silverware and real plates,
(a treat in this day of disposables), and we put white tablecloths and flowers on the tables and began
serving at 7am. (We do not have a doctor’s dining room so blocked off with walls the back area of the
cafeteria). Administration and Board Members, nursing leadership from each patient floor attended to
help serve and to thank the docs for all they do. We had 61 docs attend. Some of them had more than one
omelet and stayed for what I considered a long time, visiting with other docs and just relaxing. It was
lovely to see. A few had even made “dates” to meet there at a certain time so that they could socialize
together.
As an aside, I must tell you that I had arrived at the late hour of 6:15 a.m. and by the time it was over, I
was beat. We served from “7 to 10”, but we still had docs there at 11.
 Last year we gave them a grill (BBQ tools) set that I thought would be a really stupid idea. We took
them, along with other items, to the group of docs we had assembled to help us pick the gift and it was
overwhelming that they picked them. We still have docs asking about them a year later (if we still have
more left). It came in a zipped package with our logo on the outside. This year we gave them a boring
old fleece jacket.
 One of the things we tried last year was distributing a supply of blank, hospital note cards to all
department heads. We asked them to distribute the cards among their staff and have the staff send a note
of congratulations to the doctor(s) of their choice. The cards were then mailed to the physician’s homes by
the medical staff office. We did the same thing this year and more people participated. The physicians
really appreciated the cards and it seems as though this will become bigger each year.
 We didn't do this here, but my old boss said that at his old hospital they would bring in a specialty chef
and have him prepare meals on site for the docs. One of my collegues here passed out mp3 players with a
presentation on them about new changes/updates that the facility would be going through...
 We had a chef cook made to order omelette's and had an Italian lunch for our physicians. We also had a
sleeve made that went over the physician parking lot gate arm stating celebrating doctors day, so the
could see it coming and going. I also sent red carnations to each employed physicians office. We will
also have an awards dinner to celebrate all of our physicians. This event will have about 200 people
attending.
 What we’re doing currently has been a big hit. We asked the staff to write comments about the
physicians saying how much they appreciate them and praising them for their skills and patient care.
We made up a form on bright yellow stock paper that asks them to enter the physician’s name and the
reason for the praise and their signature and department.
We have received approximately 300 cards that are being displayed in a lobby showcase window. In fact
we’re running out of room. After Doctor’s Day is over, these cards will be sent to their homes to be
shared with their family and friends.
We’re also having an International cuisine luncheon for them with door prizes. They will have social time
with each other, which they don’t get much of these days.
 We hosted a "made-to-order" omelette breakfast held in a large white tent in the Physicians parking lot!
Turned out very elegant, if you can believe it for a tent. We added all the trimmings to make it elegant china, etc. A strawberry shortcake desert event was then held in the physicians' lounge for the
afternoon. We had "Happy Doctors' Day" buttons made for clinical staff to wear. Larger newspaper ad
than in years past. Solicited input in our employee newsletter asking staff to write in with comments as to
why a particular physician deserved recognition. We then had this presented in a professionally done
posterboard/foamboard and displayed on an aisle at the breakfast and afternoon events. We used one
"look" for all pieces - from the newspaper ad, to the invites, posterboard with comments, etc.
 We have a doctor’s day luncheon every year on March 30th (hrs: 11-2:30) at our in-house conference
center. Invitations go out to all medical staff (including residents and fellows). We also invite all the
hospital administrators to come and visit with the doctors (hospital admin are all on board with this… I
even go as far as asking them to sign-up for a greeting slot during the luncheon. I try to have 2 admin
greeting every hour of the luncheon). We give away a car wash gift certificate to each doctor that attends
($12 value but we get them at a discounted rate for purchasing a bulk amount —and it doesn’t over lap
Stark laws). We also have a massage therapy company come set up to do 10-minute chair massages for
all the doctors that want to partake. This is our second year to offer this during the luncheon and it’s a
very big hit.
 We are a small Community Hospital, however were able to give our physicians a very nice light-weight
jacket with our logo displayed on the right side. They were pleasantly surprised and grateful. We also
prepared an Oscar Awards Ballot to vote on our physicians' non-clinical talents. It was fun for all.....

1. put up posters around the hospital
2. Have "balloon trees" with "Thank you, Doctor" on top balloon
3. Omelets from the grill and fresh fruit/juice in physician lounge morning of, where we meet and greet
and pin carnations on entering doctors
4. Chair masseuse
5. Cardboard Stars - with short thank you to Dr......Cardiac Services thinks you're great or You're the
Best Dr so and so.
We get hundreds of these, stick them to posters and hang around the physician lounge in the main
hallway. Pts and visitors enjoy. Drs love them. We collect and send to their homes afterward.
6. Full page "bravo, thank you" newspaper ad.
7. Some nursing floors or different depts will have their own breakfast spreads and/or signs.
 Ordered 10-12 sheet cakes (including one sugar free) for the hospital and other major buildings of
physicians on staff. Three hundred red carnations were passed out to physicians by the CEO, Mgr. Med
Staff Svcs and Physician Liaison beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Doctors’ Day.
 One thing we have done since I have been here * 5 years-- is send a letter from the CEO and the CMO
along with a $10 Tim Horton's coupon book! Docs love it! The letter thanks them for their service, etc.
It is sent to their mailing address on record. We have done other things over the years-- extravagant
lunches, greeting them at the door in the am-- but the Tim Hortons are the hands down winner!
We put an ad in the local newspaper-- a montage of different physicians of various specialities- and that is
also popular, as docs like to see who is featured. The featured docs also like extra copies of the poster,
which we provide for them.
 This year I took an idea that I received from another liaison last year. We order 1 gig flash drives for all
of the physicians and downloaded the medical staff directory in Excel format, the hospital phone directory
and a list of all the pharmacy numbers from every pharmacy in the county. Then we packaged them back
up and attached a ribbon to a HAPPY DOCTORS” DAY card and gave it to all the physicians. I don’t
know how much they cost because someone else ordered them but the physicians like the flash drives and
also having the information. Here is the type we bought: US Modular QUIKDRIVE flash storage drive 1
GB. In the past I once bought hundreds of mink oil shoe shiners. They come packaged individually, and
I asked a shoe repair business if I could order them from them and just pay a little bit more than their cost
so I could save money and they could make money. I paid about a dollar each. I had a large banner put
up in the physician lounge that said, “Thanks for helping us shine all year, today let us shine for you”
Some liaisons years ago that I knew actually ordered a couple of shoe shiners who came in to shine their
shoes. If I were to do this over again I would buy the same mink oil kits and add the sneaker cleaning kits
since so many docs wear them.
 In the early AM, the nursing managers stand at the physician entry points from their parking areas and
greet physicians with a carnation and invitation to a special lunch in our Doctors Dining Area. Balloons
and posters add hooplah. Several posters with balloons throughout the hospital declare that it is Doctor's
Day. During the lunch period, members of the Medical Staff Office greet physicians as they enter the
dining area, pinning those who have not received a carnations and give them the "gift of the year." Sample
gifts have been, radio headsets, jump drives, umbrellas, and watches. Every 15 minutes, a drawing is held
for door prizes. Later that day and throughout the next week, I go to the different offices and deliver gifts
to those who did not receive one. Here's what I would like to do and hope to do next year" Hand out
Doctor's Day stickers to all employees the day before, so as they come to work on DD they will have the
DD sticker already on. Have volunteers at our main entrances to hand out DD stickers to every one who
enters, so the everywhere you look there are DD stickers.
 We hung pictures of over 300 doctors on the wall but not alphabetically so that they would linger longer
looking for their picture and maybe see a picture of a colleague they had talked to but never met. We had
a banner over the pictures Celebrating Doctors’ Day and another on the table. We had the Hippocratic
oath – both the original and modern versions also on the table as well as the History of Doctors’ Day. We
also had three very large posters (professionally done) in various places around the hospital. The posters
had a picture of a stethoscope with a background of an anatomy chart. The posters said “Happy Doctors’
Day March 30th, -- you make your patients feel better and you make us feel proud” with thank you in
seven different languages. New this year, the Alliance of our local Medical Society called me and asked
if they could be at the table to pass out “stickers” to put on the labels of physicians. The stickers were on
a card thanking the doctors for all they do, giving a background history of the Society and asking the
doctors to wear the sticker which said “I am being honored by the Medial Society Alliance”. Also on the
sticker was a picture of the world but in the shape of a heart with a stethoscope around it and was drawn
by one of the doctor’s wives. The Alliance (formerly the Auxiliary) is made up of doctors’ wives – they
sent a couple of wives of doctors on our staff. The Alliance used to pass out red carnations but many
physicians declined to wear them. The wives also gave the stickers to patients checking in for doctors’
visits that day and asked them to pass them along to their favorite physician.
 This year we did Starbuck’s gift cards (we have a new/first one opening in our town in a couple of
weeks).