Mee Memorial staff use vaccine vials to create art
KING CITY, Calif. (KION) What started as a simple happy face on a table has turned into a tradition at Mee Memorial Hospital.
The hospital said using COVID-19 vaccination vials to make art started when nurse Sarah Macias used remaining vials to make a happy face, but since then, the vaccine team, led by Scheduling Supervisor Consuela "Connie" Hernandez, has made it a tradition.
They use it as a way to communicate about vaccines with the community, and the hospital says they work together to decide on a theme and the art for the week.
“Creating art with the empty vaccine vials is a way to expresses our care for patients and for MMHS. Sarah’s vision was that it is art that not only represents our work but our duty during the pandemic. It seems like a simple arrangement of vials but it’s much more than that," staff said in a statement.
Initially, the team only used vials from each day's vaccinations, but because more people have been vaccinated and clinics are smaller, they use as many as they need to create an image now.
“Sarah’s hours are more limited than ours," Hernandez said. "But she started the effort and came up with the original idea. We have kept it up and now try to see how creative we can get."
The team also takes requests now. For example, the hospital said Director of Outpatient Clinics Heidi Pattinson suggested a whale tale in honor of the Monterey Bay with the caption, "Everything whale be alright."
Hernandez began working at Mee Memorial 18 years ago and has spent most of her life in King City, according to the hospital. She has also been awarded "Employee of the Year."
