At the Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute, Guest Services representative Quỳnh Khuu creates moments of connection with brightly colored origami birds, carefully folded by hand and shared with people she meets throughout the day.
Spread across her Guest Services desk, the tiny birds come in nearly every color: pink, blue, orange, yellow, green and purple. Each requires only a small piece of paper, but at the right moment, the gesture can mean much more.
Colorful origami cranes are displayed on a reception desk at the UC Davis Health Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute. The handcrafted birds were created as part of a community-focused display welcoming patients, visitors and staff.
A small gesture with a bigger meaning
“Not every day is a great day, not every day is sunshine and rainbows,” she said. “Patients come in and leave with more appointments, sometimes bad news, many with frowns, some come in with pain and leave with pain.”
“I wanted to spread some luck, longevity, good fortune and good vibes to whoever needs it by giving out cranes,” she said. “The cranes were a little gift to send home with people, something that can brighten up their mood.”
The simple interaction reflects the heart of the UC Davis Principles of Community.
Established in 1990 and reaffirmed in 2025, the Principles call on members of the UC Davis community to recognize every person’s inherent dignity and build a culture of mutual respect and care.
Those values take shape in major programs and institution-wide efforts, as well as in the everyday interactions that influence how someone experiences UC Davis Health.
A warm welcome. A moment of patience. Remembering someone’s name. Offering help before it is requested.
Or handing someone a tiny paper bird.
Principles of Community, one interaction at a time
For patients and families navigating a health care environment, each person they encounter can shape their experience. A brief moment of kindness may not change why someone came through the doors, but it can change a moment in their day.
Quỳnh’s origami birds offer a simple reminder: Creating an inclusive, caring community does not always require a grand gesture.
Sometimes, it happens to one person — and one small act of kindness — at a time.
As the Health Equity by Design for Inclusive Excellence team often reminds the UC Davis Health community, the Principles of Community are meant to be lived and embodied every single day.
