It's a time to be thankful. So in the spirit of giving back, KUAM News spoke with a doctor and nurses at the Guam Memorial Hospital to hear what our front liners are most grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday.  The pandemic may be winding down but the work to care for patients at Guam's only public hospital is far from over.

Whether they are in a white coat or scrubs or any other uniform, their busy schedule goes beyond just the front lines. Which is why this thanksgiving we decided to speak with a group here – including Dr. Dustin Prins and registered nurses Olivia Elliot, Emy Aguilar, and Jenny Fernandez.

Each one asked the same question: what are they most grateful for both on and off the clock.

Dr. Prins, a Foot & Ankle Surgeon, said, "I am so blessed. My family is all healthy, we are doing great, we love Guam and we’ve been here for almost seven years now and it’s definitely home for us. We love the people. I love being a servant leader and taking care of all the patients that come through that I get to meet. Their stories mean so much to me. I am so blessed to be a part of this great team that we call this hospital and I am so thankful for the patients. I am so thankful for how they entrust their care into us and I want to make sure I can do the same for them and their families."

Elliot, RN, shared, "I am most grateful for in my personal life, my two children, my husband, and the rest of my family and a healthy life." She added, "Professional life, I am most grateful for the awesome team we have in the ICU, the teamwork we have and the familia lifestyle here at GMH."

Aguilar, an RN in the GMH Operating Room said, "For my personal life, basically my family and my loved ones. I am grateful they are still healthy and my parents are still with me. Professionally, I am thankful that we are slowly but surely recovering from the pandemic and that the world is opening up again."

And Fernandez, RN, said, "I think just like anybody else for my personal life I can be grateful for having a loving family and good health this year. Here at the hospital, I think we’ve got a lot to be grateful for coming now into three years into this pandemic that we are hopefully, finally coming to a close end and that we were able to support eachother as a community and try to get through this all together. I’m hoping for more health and better healthcare services in the next coming years."