A look inside hospitals stretched thin during the holidays MISSION HILLS, Calif. - Providence Holy Cross Hospital is the last place Humberto Perez wanted to be for Christmas. Says the 39-year-old construction worker, "It’s sad because you're not with your family. You’re missing them and you obviously want to be with them." Perez got COVID-19 at work. So did his wife and son recovering at home. Perez is still in a bed at Providence Holy Cross. Usually, hospitals try to dress up for Christmas with tinsel, decorations and so forth, but not this year. Dr. Marwa Kilani who heads up the Palliative Care Department says, "Usually this lobby area is bustling with families and little kids running around with lots of good spirit and lots of cheer. We have a piano over here. That isn’t being used." No songs like "I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas" on the piano, and no staff singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."