To kick off its first week as a united health system, Virtua employees have received a simple – but special – assignment: to share kindness in the community. 

“With Virtua and Lourdes coming together, we wanted to commemorate our union with a series of visible and relatable gestures in which all 13,000-plus team members could get involved,” said Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, Virtua president and CEO. 

“If there is one common thread among people who choose careers in health care, it’s the desire to help others. As we begin the journey of integrating the Lourdes Health System into Virtua, we recognize a poignant opportunity to remind residents of South Jersey what we stand for. In addition to trusted quality, safety, and accessibility, we want to convey our collective goodness,” he said.

As part of the new organization's launch, Virtua employees will participate in several outreach initiatives, including kindness “pledges,” community volunteer days, and a letter-writing campaign to deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

To visualize the ripple effect that positivity can have, employees will paint motivational messages on small river rocks and scatter their mini-masterpieces throughout the tri-county region for the public to find. Each rock will be different, but all will feature the hashtag #VirtuaRocks.

“Health care is one of the most deeply personal and human experiences,” said Chrisie Scott, Virtua senior vice president and chief marketing officer, “yet it’s difficult to convey the benefits of mergers and acquisitions unless we can shine a light on the impact of so much integrated care so close to home for the good of the community.”