Held on March 30 each year, National Doctors’ Day offers patients, staff, and community members the opportunity to celebrate the compassionate individuals who often have a life-changing — or even lifesaving — impact on the people they serve. In addition to balancing the demands of work and family, PAH’s 1,318 determined doctors juggle the roles of empathetic care provider, supportive patient advocate, interdisciplinary collaborator, and innovative scholar.
To thank our physicians for their years of hard work, sacrifice, training, and practice, the Medical Affairs, Administration, and Nursing teams joined forces to host a celebratory breakfast buffet and gift exchange in the Great Court of the historic Pine Building.
National Doctors’ Day was named a national holiday in 1990, but its history goes much further back. First observed by Eudora Brown Almond in 1933, Doctors’ Day was established to pay tribute to physicians and their commitment to advancing patient care. Almond chose March 30 to coincide with the date that Dr. Crawford Williamson Long — a surgeon, pharmacist, and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine — pioneered the use of anesthesia in 1842.
“National Doctors’ Day is a wonderful tradition that gives us the chance to honor the contributions and achievements of our invaluable physicians,” said Dan Feinberg, MD, Chief Medical Officer. “It highlights the role our team members play in delivering high quality, safe patient care, and it also gives us an opportunity to celebrate with the interdisciplinary team that comes to the bedside with us every day.”