By Norman McRae

I hope every member of the Caris family enjoyed the 2016 Employee Appreciation and Awards Banquets as much as the members of the Caris leadership team did. For us, these events are a lot more than just an annual thank-you and an evening of fun. They help us stay connected with every member of the Caris family; they remind us how powerful the Caris Mission, Vision and Values are in making a difference every day in the lives of nearly 1,100 patients and their families nearing the end of a life’s journey.

Participating in the four three banquets over six days this year (our Central and West regions in Tennessee came together for one big event), I took away a number of observations worth sharing with everyone.

We’re big—and diverse—at Caris. But we still embrace the personal touch that got us through our first day of providing care in 2003.

We celebrate and acknowledge the long-tenured members of our Caris family because of their knowledge and experience. And we cherish our newest employees because of their passionate embrace of our Caris Mission, Vision and Values.

Thanks to our Caris Values, all 27 of our offices are incredibly alike. And thanks to our Three Most Important Things and our focus on patient and family needs, all 27 Caris offices are wonderfully different.

Respect is more than just a great Aretha Franklin hit from 1967. It’s the “R” in our Caris Values. It’s why we bring everybody together every year to express our appreciation for the world class work we do every day. In many respects, that “R” Value of Respect powers the other four Caris Values of Compassion, Accountability, Integrity and Service.

We can’t say it enough. Thank you. We appreciate you.