Every year, National Patient Recognition Week is observed from February 1 to 7 by American hospital administrators country-wide. During the week, they review and update hospital policy and gather data on overall patient care, hoping to find opportunities for improvement. It is also a special occasion to take the time to thank hospital workers and healthcare professionals for their everlasting journey to care for and protect their patients.
History of National Patient Recognition Week
Health and treatment have been a human priority and necessity for a very long time. Hospitals have been a place people look for when they need special care and healing since ancient times. Ever since 400 A.D., in India, there have been records of institutions similar to those we see today. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church decided that every cathedral should have a hospital attached to it, through the First Council of Nicaea. This led to the founding of two big hospitals in Constantinople, with a good staff and wards that specialized in certain diseases.
It was only during the 18th century that organizations and members of the high class began to fund the construction and maintenance of hospitals across Europe. These facilities soon became the home of innovative medicine and learning environments where senior doctors, nurses, and surgeons would pass their knowledge along to newcomers in the healthcare area. It still took a few years for the idea of public institutions to spread, and for a long time, poor people didn’t have access to healthcare because of the high fees in hospitals.
Since the 19th century, there have been many advancements in Medicine and Science, which include the development of anesthesia and penicillin, as well as the creation of all kinds of medications. All of these have helped take healthcare to a whole new level. Not only that but the incredible technological creations have allowed doctors to be a little more sure about their diagnosis, helping patients reach a higher chance of getting a pertinent treatment.
National Patient Recognition Week timeline
A Buddhist monk records the existence of hospital-like structures across India.
Shapur I founds one of the first teaching hospitals in the Persian Empire.
The First Council of Nicaea enacts that every cathedral should have a hospital built along with it.
During this time, the custom of voluntarily building and funding hospitals becomes very popular in Europe.
National Patient Recognition Week FAQs
Why is it called a patient?
The word stems from the Latin for ‘suffer’ or “bear suffering,” meaning that a patient is a person in passive need of care and intervention.
What is the difference between a patient and a client?
A patient is a receiver of treatment, who usually gets it from a medical expert. A client is simply a consumer of a product or a buyer of a service.
What are seven different types of care?
Care has seven different types: primary, specialty, emergency, urgent, long-term, hospice, and mental.
How to Observe National Patient Recognition Week
Make a card
Get well soon cards are never out of fashion! Why not make a bunch of them and distribute them to patients at a local hospital?
Rate hospital service
If you’ve been in a hospital recently receiving treatment, you should take some time to rate the service you received. It will help the administrators improve their patient care!
Volunteer at a hospital
You can always help make patient care a little brighter and more fun by volunteering to help at a local facility! You don’t have to be a health professional to brighten the day of patients by reading them stories or singing some songs!
5 Surprising Facts About Hospitals
Everlasting childhoods
Did you know that the author of Peter Pan gave away the copyright of his creation to a children’s hospital to collect the income and fund the hospital?
Testing theories
There are 25 hospitals both in the United States and Europe that place messages on the other side of the ceiling in operating rooms to test if people really do have out-of-body experiences!
Important figures
None of the presidents who came before Jimmy Carter were born in hospitals — he was the first one.
Nurses are stars
Nurses are the ones who actually do most of the work in the hospital, from cleaning patients to administering medication.
Copper shield
Most hospital garments, furniture, and objects are infused with copper — this helps keep infections from spreading in the hospital.
Why National Patient Recognition Week is Important
It draws attention to patient care
We don’t often stop and think about how patient care affects a hospital. This week is a great way to raise awareness and pay more attention.
It’s all about health
There’s never enough conversation when the topic is our health. To be cared for in the hospital is the least we can get!
It raises awareness about hospital policies
When we think about the many times we’ve been in the hospital, we tend to overlook the many important rules and policies that make it run smoothly. This week is important because it accentuates their importance.
National Patient Recognition Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | February 1–7 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2027 | February 1–7 | Monday–Sunday |
| 2028 | February 1–7 | Tuesday–Monday |
| 2029 | February 1–7 | Thursday–Wednesday |
| 2030 | February 1–7 | Friday–Thursday |
