YORK TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Thursday proved to be a day of motivation at Wellspan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital. Players with the York Revolution baseball team paid a visit to the facility, signing autographs and spending some time with patients who are recovering and working through therapy.
This is the third year for the event. Wellspan staff say meet-and-greet events help to improve the overall patient experience. They're mood boosters, according to recreational therapist, Haley Smith, and a better mood helps patients get more out of treatment.
"It builds up their morale," said Smith. "They're at some of their weakest points and this is kind of just a morale booster for them. It puts a smile on their face, and allows them to continue to move forward, using it as motivation for their therapy."
Smith said that motivation makes patients more independent when they leave the hospital.
Revolution players, like pitcher, Logan Williamson, said they're glad to help.
"You can't really imagine what they're going through if you haven't been through something like that," Williamson said, "but you get a chance to develop a short relationship and interact [with the patients] and just live a couple normal minutes of life without them having to worry about their problems."