HOliday Parade Judge Janine Cook
This year, we've invited some of the many local unsung heroes of the pandemic to be recognized at our Annual Holiday Parade. Representing the healthcare sector, we welcome Janine Cook as one of our Honored Judges.
An Aussie by birth, Janine immigrated to the Skagit Valley in 1991 and began working at Skagit Valley Hospital as a Registered Nurse in 1992.
She is an accomplished photographer and has raised 3 children in the area, with her youngest set to graduate from Sedro Woolley High School in 2023. She works as a Charge, Rapid Response, and Staff Nurse on the Progressive and Critical Care Unit, meaning that she has been working with the COVID-19 ward patients since the very beginning of the pandemic. She works full-time, in 12-hour shifts that often stretch longer, and has regularly worked extra shifts over these last 20+ months. While national headlines speak of healthcare worker burnout, and Janine acknowledges that burnout is real, she says of the team she works with: "We're not going anywhere - these are our people!"
A runner, Janine says she was initially thinking she was preparing for a marathon but now realizes she is thick in the middle of the ultimate ultra. When accepting our gesture of gratitude and invitation to lighten one day by serving as a judge for the Holiday Parade, Janine said yes, but, "Everybody needs to know that it's all of us: nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians, CNAs, physical therapists, housekeeping staff - everyone is giving everything they've got. I am so proud of our team and all we've done, and all we will continue to do."
We are proud to know you, Janine, and extend our immense gratitude to you and your colleagues!
To find out about our other honorees, click on the images below:
