YCH, the mighty oak

  • Yoakum Community Hospital staff, the Pink Ladies, City staff, City Council members, and other locals pose by the freshly dedicated oak tree on Friday, May 13.
    Yoakum Community Hospital staff, the Pink Ladies, City staff, City Council members, and other locals pose by the freshly dedicated oak tree on Friday, May 13.
  • Director Counseling Services Stephanie Lerch speaks about the YCH’s role in the Yoakum-area community.
    Director Counseling Services Stephanie Lerch speaks about the YCH’s role in the Yoakum-area community.
  • Yoakum Mayor Carl O’Neill speaks at the oak tree dedication on May 13.
    Yoakum Mayor Carl O’Neill speaks at the oak tree dedication on May 13.
  • Attendees stand outside the Yoakum Community Hospital while Stephanie Lerch explains the hospital’s history.
    Attendees stand outside the Yoakum Community Hospital while Stephanie Lerch explains the hospital’s history.

    Yoakum Community Hospital (YCH) staff and the YCH Auxillary - also known as the Pink Ladies - unveiled an oak tree and historical marker outside the hospital’s main entrance on Friday, May 13. 

     

    Friday’s event was part of the three-day celebration to mark 100 years of local healthcare by the YCH. Director Counseling Services Stephanie Lerch welcomed guests and detailed the history of the hospital and the significance of the oak tree donated by the Pink Ladies.

     

    “This tree symbolizes a century of growth and a future of leadership,” said Lerch. “We celebrate, commemorate and memorialize the past, present and future people and employees who have and will continue to serve our community.”

     

    YCH Auxiliary Treasurer Nancy McNease read The Oak Tree by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr. to demonstrate the resilience of oak trees and their significance as a metaphor for the hospital. Mayor Carl O’Neill followed with a proclamation explaining the importance of the event and the hospital’s anniversary. 

     

    “I was really pleased with (the event). I thought Stephanie did an amazing job. She did all this on her own, organized it herself and arranged everything…,” said YCH CEO Karen Barber. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”