The engagement of a talented, compassionate and devoted group of community volunteers is essential for the benefit of Mission Health’s patients and families.
Recently, Mission Health published an enlightening and engaging Annual Report on Volunteer Engagement for 2016. The report is an expression of gratitude to the engaged volunteer corps who work to make things better for patients and to lighten the load for staff. It provides a unique look into the diverse work of the volunteers and serves as an educational tool to explain the essential role volunteers play in supporting patients and families.
Mission Health offers volunteer opportunities for community members of every interest, age, and availability. Junior Volunteers (ages 14-18) – the workforce of the future – offer their time and work in exchange for learning about the diverse careers in healthcare. Loving pet owners bring their therapy dogs to bear to provide emotional and health benefits to patients that have been scientifically proven: Interacting with an animal can lower blood pressure and release oxytocin, which has a calming effect; and benefits aren’t limited to patients – staff also enjoy these amazing animals.
The Volunteer Engagement Lobby Sales arrange partnerships with vendors so staff who are short on time have easy access to necessities and gifts. The profits gained from the Lobby Sales and the Gift and Bean shop are transformed into Volunteer Leadership Committee Grants, which fund an array of projects that significantly impact the community-at-large and our region’s at-risk groups, including the Arts for Life Program, which provides art services to children at Reuter Children’s Center and the Huff Center, Nicotine Cessation “Quit Kits” for smokers, nursing education initiatives, and the “Retreat and Refresh” Stroke Camp, a weekend respite opportunity for stroke survivors and their caregivers. Volunteers’ efforts fuel these programs, which are not “extras,” but rather necessities for both caregivers and patients being treated at Mission Health.
The Rathbun House is one of Mission Health’s most impactful initiatives. It provides up to three weeks of free, hospitality housing to the families and loved ones of patients who undergoing treatment at Mission Hospital and other local care settings, including CarePartners and the VA Hospital. In 2016, the Rathbun House served nearly 4,300 individuals. It is powered by a dedicated group of 70 volunteers who do everything from guest check-in to offering a listening ear to the patients’ families and caregivers.
The effectiveness of Mission Health’s volunteer program can be credited to a progressive Volunteer Engagement staff who have improved the volunteer application, feedback, and scheduling processes through thoughtful analysis and employment of advanced specialized technology. Judy Haney, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Mission Hospital, explains that, aside from the concrete services volunteers provide, they offer important intangible benefits as well, making the volunteerism dynamic truly win-win. “Not only do our wonderful volunteers show great care for our patients, but their energies are morale-boosting for our staff. Volunteering also helps the volunteers – they develop a social network that enriches their own lives,” she said.
Mission Health is committed to matching every unique volunteer with assignments that complement their skillsets, whether that means working as a Discharge Escort, a waiting room volunteer who comforts the anxious families and friends of patients, craft volunteers who create blankets for Project Linus, or an Emergency Department volunteer who meets the needs of patients in an exceptionally fast-paced environment. The Mission Health volunteer team personifies the compassion for which Mission Health is renowned, and strengthens the level of patient care throughout the region.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities at mission-health.org/volunteer.