Jon christensen, with partner mary drury.
Meet Jon Christensen. For more than 20 years, Jon has been expressing his thoughtfulness and gratitude with a holiday treat for our Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit staff. Jon’s connection with Winona Health is strong and multifaceted. His father, Dr. E.E. Christensen, was a general surgeon here, and he grew up next door to Dan Parker (our own, now retired Dr. Parker!). He remembers playing basketball with Dr. Parker when they were kids. His eyes lit up as he recalled, “Dan could easily land a jump shot, but I could shoot from the street and make it every time.” As it turned out, his boyhood neighbor, who was a bit older, would become his physician at Winona Health. When Jon’s wife, Sandy, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Jon said he was so grateful for the care they received throughout her illness and noted that, “Your hospice care was wonderful – that takes a special person. I don’t know what we would have done without them.” He said that over the years he has also been cared for in the Emergency room, ICU and Internal Medicine. Jon said he enjoys delivering boxes of candy and being greeted with smiles. “Little things make a difference and it’s fun to give,” he said, noting that it was one of the things that helped him through his grief after losing his wife. Jon has also been giving to the Winona Health Foundation’s Trees of Light in remembrance of Sandy since 1998. The caregivers at Winona Health recognize and appreciate the caregiver in Jon.
