Another big “thank you” was given to NYC hospital workers this weekend!
American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels teamed up to give the entire staff of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens surprise roundtrip flights and free stays in hotels across the U.S. and Caribbean, in order for them to have a relaxing vacation after the pandemic situation is under control.
The Queens hospital was one of the hardest-hit hospitals in the city (according to the press release), and serves almost 1 million New Yorkers. During the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, they even increased their Intensive Care Units (ICU) capacity by a whopping 500%. If you remember, when the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing was being turned into a temporary hospital, it was set to treat overflow from Elmhurst Hospital due to the “enormous pressure” they were facing.
Over 4,000 employees—including doctors, physician assistants, nurses, facilities workers, and food service teams—received the gift on Friday, May 9.
“Our doctors, nurses, and other staff on the front lines of this unprecedented health care crisis really appreciate the outpouring of support from two of America’s major companies, and we look forward to taking advantage of these well-earned vacations in the near future,” said Israel Rocha, Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.
If you’re wondering about the rest of the healthcare workers not at this hospital, they haven’t been forgotten.
Hyatt is now including global health care workers in its Hyatt Friends & Family Rate, which offers highly discounted hotel rooms, some as much as half price. All they have to do is use the code THANKYOU when they book a stay, and then verify their job. They’ll get the special discount through June 30, 2021.
Also, JetBlue is giving 10,000 New Yorker healthcare workers free pairs of roundtrip flights for future vacations.
featured image source: Courtesy, American Airlines