Gingerbread houses, Santa and festive decorations delight patients and staff
1 / 12
The Clinical Center's 14th Annual NIH Gingerbread House Decorating Contest drew 69 entries and countless smiles. Created by NIH staff, the entries – 14 more than last year – ranged from movie themes such as Moana, Beauty and the Beast and Harry Potter to medical-related messages about ongoing research and diversity in research. The houses were judged by employees, patients and visitors with paper ballots and on Facebook. View all of the images on The Clinical Center Facebook.
2 / 12
The Gingerbread House Contest Paper Ballot 3rd place winner: 3 SE Day Hospital Nursing Unit, NIH Clinical Center.
3 / 12
The Gingerbread House Contest Facebook 1st place winner: Section on Skeletal Disorders and Mineral Homeostasis, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
4 / 12
The Gingerbread House Contest Facebook and Paper Ballot 2nd place winner: Post Bac Team, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
5 / 12
The Gingerbread House Contest Facebook 3rd place winner: OxCam/Wellcome Trust Program, NIH.
6 / 12
The parking garages around the NIH Clinical Center sparkle with holiday cheer. Parking booth attendants, such as supervisor Menbere Haile from the P1 garage in the Clinical Center, and others across the NIH campus decorated their facilities. They participate in a yearly competition for best decorations.
7 / 12
Santa visits with one of the Clinical Centers youngest patients, in the pediatric unit.
8 / 12
Santa visited children in the Playroom of the Clinical Center in December.
9 / 12
For the children who were unable to leave their room, Santa came to them with gifts in hand.
10 / 12
A menorah in the north atrium of the Clinical Center is among many decorations throughout the hospital.
11 / 12
Several departments decorated their doors in the Clinical Center. Visit our Facebook to see more.
12 / 12
On Dec. 24, more than 40 members of the Gay Men's Chorus traveled to the NIH Clinical Center to bring holiday cheer to patients. They visited nine units and sang to more than 45 patients as well as family members and staff. This year marked their 35th year of caroling from unit to unit. They first began the singing tradition in the 80s to lift the spirits of patients who were here on HIV/AIDS protocols.