More than a dozen UMKC School of Medicine students displayed the humanistic side of medicine on Valentine’s Day. The students, members of the school’s Gold Humanism Honor Society, delivered more than 200 roses and hand-made Valentine’s cards to their patients at Truman Medical Center Health Sciences District during their lunch hour.

“This reinforces the idea that our patients are not just patients, they’re also human beings,” said sixth-year student Rmaah Memon.

The fifth- and sixth-year students and their Gold Humanism Honor Society faculty sponsor, Carol Stanford, M.D., have been handing out roses to their patients for Valentine’s Day as part of the organization’s Solidarity Week for Compassionate Patient Care since 2011.

A few years ago, the students began inviting their classmates to join in on the Solidarity Week campaign by getting together during the week to create hundreds of their own hand-made Valentine’s cards to pass out with the roses.

“A lot of these patients are here on Valentine’s Day all alone,” said Athira Jayan, a sixth-year student. “You’re handing them a rose, but you’re also getting a chance to just visit with them, give them some company. A lot of patients here, that’s something that they value, the ability for someone to comfort them and give them someone to talk to.”

Elsa George, another sixth-year student, said this is an opportunity for the students to show their patients that someone cares.

“Sometimes, when we come into their room and just talk to them briefly about their medical conditions, patients think we don’t really care about how they feel as a person,” George said.

Two years ago, the School of Medicine received the Gold Humanism Honor Society’s Distinguished Chapter of the Year. That honor recognized the chapter’s impact, leadership, service activities and humanistic learning environment.

The organization has nearly 180 chapters in medical schools and residency programs throughout the United States.

A rosy air wafted through Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill on Monday afternoon.

Each year since 2011, right around Valentine’s Day, members of the School of Medicine chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society hand out roses and cards to patients as part of National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Care. The day is part of the national society’s Solidarity Week that encourages medical schools and patient care facilities to focus on the importance of kindness to patients.

Seven UMKC students selected recently to the Gold Humanism Honor Society participated. They joined faculty sponsor Carol Stanford, M.D., docent and associate professor of medicine, and her husband, Jim Stanford, M.D., also a docent and associate professor of medicine, in delivering flowers and cards.

Carol Stanford said students in the society conducted fundraisers throughout the year. Part of those funds were used to purchase the 23 dozen roses that were presented to patients throughout the hospital.

“Last year, we had enough roses to give one to every patient and handed them out in the clinics, as well,” Carol Stanford said.

Gold Humanism students also spent time hand-crafting stacks of cards filled with uplifting thoughts and well wishes to hand out with the more than 270 roses.

“I want to be able to connect with the patients outside of medicine and just bring a smile to their face,” said Sally Azer, a fifth-year student participating in the event for the first time. “Even if it’s something as small as a flower, I want to be a part of that.”