Sponsors help St. Francis show appreciation to employees

For the last year, there has been little to celebrate at St. Francis Hospital as the Columbus institution has worked through a deep financial crisis.

Thursday, nearly 2,800 employees were treated to Country's Barbecue lunch in the hospital's parking garage. The meal was sponsored by three Columbus businesses -- Aflac, TSYS and W.C. Bradley.

"It shows that we have support," said Anne Lester, an LPN who has worked at the hospital for more than 45 years. "And that makes everybody feel good that they still believe in us."

Last November, it was announced that St. Francis had a nearly $30 million "accounting error." That forced the hospital into layoffs, and it has been up for sale since early this year. LifePoint Health of Brentwood, Tenn., has a letter of intent to purchase St. Francis. That deal could close before the end of the year.

Richard Y. "Bo" Bradley, St. Francis Hospital Board of Trustees chairman, thanked the employees for focusing on the job in what he termed "a difficult time."

"This is indicative of how much this community understands the importance of quality health care that we deliver at St. Francis," Bradley said of the sponsored lunch.

For employees like Casey Henderson, who has been at the hospital for five years and just moved into a nursing job after working in the lab, the last year has been about focusing on things with the employees' control.

"There has been no difference in the way we treat people," Henderson said. "We have treated this like a family and we have stuck together."

Lester agreed.

"There are just some things we can't worry about," she said. "You have just got to keep doing your job. Worry about patient care and stay positive."

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Sponsors help St. Francis show appreciation to employees."