Window Stickers Given to Essential Workers
May 20, 2020
Physicians and staff at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center now have a special decal on their windshields identifying them as essential medical workers — and Healthcare Heroes — thanks to an idea that started with mental health technician Brian Johns, MHT.
Johns works at St. Mary’s Resilience Behavioral Health, which is a 15-bed inpatient psychiatric unit for adults. When the first concerns about COVID-19 arose, he remembers learning that the hospital was looking for a way to identify essential workers driving to and from work. “I said, what we need is a window sticker,” he recalls. The idea took off, and car decals were later distributed to all St. Mary’s staff and also offered to physicians. When his decal arrived, Johns was eager to get it on his windshield. “It was the first thing I did when I got off work,” he says.
Johns works the overnight shift in the behavioral health unit, which requires some maneuvering of his sleep schedule. But it’s a sacrifice he’s happy to make for his profession and the patients he serves. He’s found his calling in healthcare and previously was a licensed practical nurse (LPN). In accordance with an Executive Order related to COVID-19, he had his nursing license reinstated earlier this year so he’d be prepared to help if needed.
He doesn’t think of himself as a hero, but he displays his car decal with great honor. “I take pride in what I do,” he says.