October 31, 2011
Carving out a creative Halloween tradition at UW Medical Center (with spooky video)
Every Halloween, just as surely as there are ghosts on the wind and howling in those far-off hills, there is a Halloween decorating and pumpkin-carving contest at University of Washington Medical Center.
“Its open to all of our in-house and off-site departments,” said Tara Brown, UWMC recognition program and events coordinator for UW Medicine Organization Development & Training.
“We typically have 15 to 20 departments that participate in either the decorating contest, the pumpkin-carving contest, or both.”
Brown said the judges make their rounds throughout the morning and then huddle together like the witches in Macbeth, stirring hot cauldrons and debating the merits of the carving creativity. Oh OK she didnt really say that last part — only that winners are announced later in the day.
Those winners are listed below, with commentary by Brown, who also took all the photos.
As you can see, it was a totally nonscary event and a good time was had by all — except, um, maybe the pumpkins.
Pumpkin carving
First place: Laboratory Medicine, chemistry, with their sick and slimy pair of pumpkins.
Second place: Operations & Maintenance, this Monty Python-themed pumpkin suffered “just a flesh wound.”
Third place: Food & Nutrition Services, a pumpkin sculpture fit for a museum.
And “honorable mention for material mastery”: Family Medicine (Roosevelt), for a very “labored” effort.
Decorating
First place: Materials Management, purchasing (Sand Point), “Gloomstone.”
Second place: Anatomic Pathology, “The Birds” meets “Psycho”
Third place: Center on Human Development and Disability, “Creepy Critters.”
And “Honorable mention for creative genius”: Laboratory Medicine, immunology, for its “Happy Hooterween” Breast Cancer Awareness Month theme.
Other participating departments were: IT Services Help Desk, UW Medicine Enterprise Business Systems, Laboratory Medicine, Radiology/Ultrasound, Transfusion Support Services, Patient Access Services, Regional Heart Center – Cardiology, ECG Laboratory, Health Information Management, Steiner Laboratory, OBGYN.
