Last week, Horacio Oduber Hospital (HOH) held its Staff Appreciation Week 2026, during which appreciation was shown and value was given to all colleagues throughout an entire week.
Annually during the month of May, alongside International Nurses Day, the Staff Appreciation Week is celebrated with a schedule full of activities as a gesture of appreciation and care for everyone working at the hospital. Working in a hospital is by no means easy, and that is why it is important for colleagues to enjoy time together and briefly distract the mind.
Jacco Vroegop, Chairman of the Board of Directors, emphasized that the Staff Appreciation Week 2026 was a great opportunity to once again highlight the essential role of everyone working in the hospital. This week is very important because the employees are the ones behind the success and care at HOH. “I am very proud of them, and I hope that Aruba is proud of them too.”
The theme chosen this year was “Wanderlust,” which focuses on the desire to explore. The week opened with a virtual message from the Board of Directors, expressing heartfelt thanks to each hospital employee for everything they do for the organization and our patients. The morning began with a delicious grab-and-go style breakfast to start the week with plenty of energy. Various activities were held around the theme, including a workshop, a walk, a scavenger hunt, and an interdepartmental decoration and creativity competition called “Wander the World.” May 12th—International Nurses Day—was chosen to present every HOH professional with a small token of appreciation. At the same time, emphasis was placed on the importance of our nursing colleagues who are by our patients’ bedsides every day. In the context of sustainability, this day was also dedicated to the “One Tree Initiative,” where colleagues could make donations and plant a tree.
Thus, it was a week full of inspiration, reminding each and every individual that every person in the hospital, regardless of their role, holds an important duty toward our patients.
Gregory Croeze, Member of the Board of Directors of HOH, expressed that the employees are the heart of the hospital; even as technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence continue to evolve, it is the employees who provide direct care at the bedside with all their love.
For several months, the team of colleagues in charge of this week worked hard behind the scenes to put together a highly varied program. A heartfelt thank you goes out to this committee that united to make HOH’s Staff Appreciation Week 2026 successful once again. And of course, once more, thank you to our colleagues who work 24/7 with heart for HOH and our patients. Thank you for always being there!
