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Spotlight
Volunteering Keeps Her Going
When Polly Mathis found herself widowed a few years ago, she deeply mourned her loss. She and her late husband did everything together, including volunteer work, but she knew she couldn’t grieve forever.
Instead, the Oxford resident started new volunteer duties at RMC. She began in Recovery, an area whose name ironically, yet appropriately, reflected where she was personally at the time.
“I don’t want to stay at home and be isolated from people. Volunteering makes a difference in how I feel about myself. I feel more positive about my day and my ability to help others. There’s no downside to it,” says Polly, who is in her third year of volunteering.
As a volunteer in Recovery, where patients go following general surgery, Polly is responsible for taking patient information and records.
“The experience is very rewarding for me because so many people appreciate you – the patients, their families and the nurses. I meet a lot of nice people. We get to know each other and care about each other,” explains Polly.
If you are interested in volunteering at RMC, please call Vickie Simmons at (256) 235-5147 and ask for an application.
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Volunteers A Welcome Sight
Louise Pullen and Christine Riddle are a welcome sight to patients at RMC. These Heflin residents say patients are usually more than glad to see them as they carry out their volunteer duties at RMC.
“Most people are thrilled when they get flowers or a card while they’re in the hospital,” says Christine. “We enjoy delivering things that instantly bring a smile to their faces.”
As members of RMC’s Volunteer Auxiliary, both ladies work with patients, their families, and nurses to carry out duties such as staffing a family waiting room or delivering paperwork. “We’re there to serve, and we’re there to do a little good in an often trying situation,” says Louise.
A good set of ears comes in handy, they say. “You can really hone and use your listening skills in this capacity. Many people want and need to talk. And we listen if that’s what they need,” says Christine, a six-year volunteer.
Louise and Christine both agree that volunteering is rewarding. Among its benefits are meeting new people, giving back to the
community and helping others. And they agree that the real joy comes after a patient gives them a smile or hug simply because they’ve listened or delivered some flowers or simply stepped in to check on them.
As Christine put it, “feeling that joy from others just makes our service all the more rewarding.”
If you are interested in volunteering at RMC, please call Vickie Simmons at (256) 235-5147 and ask for an application.
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Volunteers Make a Difference
Joan Herring and Carolyn Harrelson, both of Jacksonville, have a combined decade of volunteer service at RMC. Both staff RMC’s Information Desk, the first physical entry point for most
visitors and the first communication point for the general public.
Volunteers answer the hospital’s telephone lines the old-fashioned and most friendly way—in person. There’s no endless punching of buttons in a faceless voice mail system during regular business hours. “People want answers, and our volunteers are there to provide them,” explains Vickie Simmons, RMC’s Director of Development.
“Volunteering is very rewarding,” says Carolyn. “People are genuinely appreciative of your help, and they thank you for it. When they might be dealing with something stressful and unpleasant, it’s good to know you were able to make their day a little bit easier.”
It’s not always that simple. The Information Desk is often viewed as the source for anything and everything. From bus schedules to clinical issues, volunteers get all kinds of questions. In keeping with federal privacy and HIPAA regulations, Vickie says all volunteers are trained on what they can and cannot answer.
Prior to joining the Information Desk, Joan worked in RMC’s Emergency Department. “You get an entirely different experience and set of questions there.”
Volunteering is also about setting an example, according to Carolyn.
“We’re not only giving back to the community, but we’re setting an example for our children and grandchildren. I hope my daughter follows in my footsteps because volunteer service is so
rewarding and so important,” Carolyn explains.
If you want to follow in the footsteps of Joan, Carolyn or the many other men and women who volunteer at RMC, please call Vickie Simmons at (256) 235-5147 and ask for an application.
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Kayla House thought she’d like to work with children some day. She just didn’t know “some day” would begin last summer.
As part of the Volunteen program, the 9th grader began spending full days in RMC’s newborn nursery, cleaning cribs, helping with the infants, stocking materials, and other jobs. Kayla said she even assisted nurses with some paperwork.
The experience is great, says Kayla, because “you’re actually helping babies in so many different ways.” She’s continuing in Volunteens through this school year, coming in as her school schedule allows.
Kayla’s grandmother first told her about the program. She saw an article about Volunteens in the newspaper and sent it to Kayla. Kayla then formally applied with the assistance of her school guidance counselor. Once the letter approving and welcoming her to the program arrived, she was on her way to becoming a positive contribution in our newborn nursery.
She wants to continue in the program as long as she can, Kayla says. Though she’s learned a lot, one of the great pluses of the experience is that it’s helped her set a goal of becoming a pediatrician. College is a few years off, she points out, but Kayla is interested in attending UAB.
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Experience strengthens her ambitions
Last summer, when Brittany Crider began working in the Volunteen program, she thought she might like to work in the medical field.
Now she knows she does.
Brittany, a ninth-grader at Oxford High, says she was somewhat interested in the field when she applied to volunteer in the program. The experience, she believed, would only “strengthen my ideas,” she says. And, apparently, her work in the Emergency Department did.
Brittany credits the techs in the ED with helping her to learn the ropes. She helped out by working in triage, taking patients’ vitals, and escorting patients to their care facility. She also credits those techs with showing her what a positive effect working in the medical field can have on someone.
“It’s amazing how the medical field has changed their lives,” says Brittany. “It made me realize that people really do need help, and it makes you feel better to help them.”
Though she hasn’t decided on the specifics, Brittany says she would like to be a doctor and is currently interested in both the University of Alabama and the University of Florida. Her more immediate plans include working in Volunteens again this summer.
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Volunteens experience spurs interest in career
For Logan Brown, joining the Volunteens program not only taught him a little science, it also taught him there’s a healthy job market in healthcare.
“I didn’t know much about the field when I entered the program. But, along with an abundance of knowledge, I learned how many job opportunities there are,” Logan says.
Last summer, Logan worked in Recovery and in our PACU. At that time, according to him, he’d had passing thoughts about nursing or something similar as a career. Now, though, he says he’s still interested in nursing but is considering anesthesiology. A senior at Jacksonville Christian Academy, Logan will start at the University of Alabama – Huntsville next fall.
His Volunteens commitment was slated only for the summer, but Logan still works when he has the chance, estimating he puts in around 15 hours per month.
The interest in science is new, Logan claims. “I had always been more interested in English before, even though my mother is a nurse. I just wasn’t especially interested in science in the past. But it started to grow on me”
If it continues to grow, this National Honor Society member could wind up back in a hospital when his school days are over. Only next time, it may be as “Doctor” Logan Brown.
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