This holiday weekend, as families try to squeeze in a few last beach days or host backyard barbecues before fall arrives, thousands of Maryland's health care professionals will be at their hospital posts throughout the state.

Their jobs are not 9-5. Take a look at Texas. All along the Gulf Coast and surrounding areas, hospital workers are among the tens of thousands of first responders not only forgoing even an inkling of vacation time with family, but also risking their own safety in the service of others.

Service to others. That's what it means to work at a hospital - from the front-line nurses and doctors to maintenance staff to accountants to the C-suite. All of their unique expertise, everything they do each day, supports just one goal: helping people.

In Maryland, hospitals employ more than 100,000 people, collectively making them one of the largest private-sector employers in the state.

And on this Labor Day weekend, a holiday dedicated to the achievements of American workers, I can think of none more deserving of recognition than those who choose to work in hospitals. The contributions hospital workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country are boundless.

For that, the women and men who keep Maryland's hospitals at the ready 24-7, 365 days a year, deserve our deepest appreciation and admiration.

And we'll keep those in Texas at the forefront of our thoughts this weekend. If you would like to help your colleagues affected by the flood, visit https://www.tha.org/Harvey/ReliefFund.