By Shea Wright

At VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), the spirit of Thanksgiving isn’t just reserved for a single day. Gratitude, connection, and community come alive week after week, reminding us that serving and caring for others goes beyond the walls of patient rooms.

The hospital is a place where people in South Hill feel connected to others, and the lunchroom is one of the common areas that transform into more than just a place to grab a quick bite to eat.

Each week, the cafeteria serves Thanksgiving-inspired dishes – hearty, comforting meals that encourage everyone to take a pause and sit down with colleagues, friends, and even community members to connect in a meaningful way.

Curated by chef Troy Waugh, of CMH’s Food and Nutrition department, each week’s menu offers a variety of dishes from fried fish, pasta and even a cobbler of the day.

“We might take a basic everyday dish and jazz it up a bit with an unusual flavor profile,” Waugh said. “We strive not to have an overly complicated menu, which is something that took me a while to understand coming from a fine dining background.”

VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital chef Troy Waugh enjoys creating Thanksgiving-inspired dishes for team members, patients, caregivers, and community members who come to the hospital’s cafeteria. (Shea Wright, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

But it isn’t just the smell of home cooking that gets people excited. The hallmark of lunchtime at the hospital is also the sight of familiar faces, like families of team members, volunteers, and hospital leadership sitting and eating with staff.

“It’s a reminder that we’re all here, working side-by-side, not only for our patients but for each other,” said Sheldon Barr, president of Community Memorial Hospital.

In a field where executives are often pulled into meetings throughout the day, Barr sees how sharing a meal and sparking conversations with staff helps to foster unity and a positive environment.

“When I am able to sit down with any team member, even if it’s for a quick lunch meeting, it brings home what we are all about and one that speaks to the very heart of what makes CMH different,” Barr said.

For members of the South Hill community, the lunchroom has become a third space — a place where people outside of the hospital can connect and enjoy the warmth of community. Third spaces, a term coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg, describes the places outside of the home (the first place) and the workplace (the second place) where people go to converse and connect with others.

For some people, third spaces are coffee shops, libraries, or places of worship. A lunchroom meal might not sound extraordinary, but at CMH, it’s these everyday interactions that contribute to a stronger, more resilient community.

One of the cafeteria regulars is long-time CMH employee George Baskerville. The facilities engineer enjoys lunch in his “seat” at the back of the lunchroom nearly every day.

“I love the food here, but it’s really about the people,” Baskerville said. “You sit down with folks from all over the hospital — nurses, technicians, even patients, and family members sometimes. It’s just like family here.”

Employed by the hospital for 46 years, Baskerville is woven into the fabric of CMH, adding warmth and familiarity to the daily rhythm of the hospital. That legacy also includes Carolyn Walker, a patient access representative (PAR) for the Oncology department who has been with the hospital for 47 years, and who also is Baskerville’s sister. She’s often seen eating lunch with her brother, catching up during their shifts.

“It’s really a family environment here at CMH,” Walker said. “It’s nice to come to work at a place like this, where even on the busiest days, you feel connected. And the food is great too.”

And when it comes to the delicious Thanksgiving-inspired lunches, it’s not just about the food. The hospital lunchroom is a unique place where CMH’s family and local ties come to life. Here, you may see coworkers, relatives, and friends cross paths and share moments that go beyond their daily roles.

Families, like the Baskervilles, reveal the interconnected relationships at the core of CMH’s culture – where strong bonds and the spirit of community feel tangible, reminding everyone of the deeper connections that make CMH more than just a hospital.

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