Employees Recognized for Their Resilience Members of Columbia’s staff were addressed by Dr. Herbert Pardes, right, vice president and dean. Dr. Pardes thanked them for their efforts during the July blackout. Exactly one week after the last Columbia-Presbyterian facility was restored to 100 percent Con Edison power, Dr. Herbert Pardes, vice president and dean, honored Columbia staff for their work during the Washington Heights/Inwood blackout. “A week ago, we all experienced a tremendous event,” he told the gathering. “But everyone working in our schools and in the hospital at that time did an equally tremendous job protecting all the people and animals in our facilities so that no living creatures were hurt or lost their lives.” One positive that Dr. Pardes pointed out was the effort put forth by employees, especially those of Facilities Management, Security, and Animal Care departments, who worked tirelessly throughout the four-day emergency. “Many of you worked very hard and spent much more time here than expected,” he said. “The way you all pitched in during a time of crisis made us all very proud of our Columbia-Presbyterian family. I hope this kind of spirit prevails for decades to come.” |R