During a recent visit with one of our hospital clients, I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting a remarkable employee. Possibly the longest-tenured team member in the entire facility.
Not only was he born in the very hospital he works in now, but he started his career there at just 18 years old. He is the go-to person for just about everything: advice, building quirks, institutional memory—you name it. He even knows things about the building that is not stored in their archive.
Our conversation took a fun turn as he shared some of the more entertaining moments from his years on the job. One story, in particular, had me laughing. Years ago, someone with a truckload of chickens stopped in the hospital parking lot… and all the chickens escaped.
Chaos broke out as feathers flew. No one knew how to catch them. But this employee wasn’t fazed. He calmly instructed everyone on how to “put a chicken to sleep.” (Gently tuck its head under its wing and lay it down.) Apparently, it works like a charm.
So there they were, rounding up runaway chickens and gently putting them to sleep in the middle of the parking lot.
It was a moment of light-heartedness that reminded me just how valuable these stories are—not just for entertainment, but for preserving the rich, lived history of a place. At AerieHub, we aim to ensure facility knowledge isn’t lost to time. It’s just as meaningful when those memorable moments aren’t lost either.
