Volunteer Appreciation

Susan Hester is director of communty services for the WakeMed system.

WakeMed volunteers have a big impact on the system. WakeMed volunteers escort and guide patients and guests, discharge patients, visit patients, read to children, coordinate visits for families, offer diversionary activities for patients and families, survey patients, deliver mail and flowers, answer phones, file, run errands, collate, and much, much more.

But most off all WakeMed volunteers offer positive customer interactions, listen, listen, listen, smile and serve. During National Volunteer Week, I would like to take time to acknowledge WakeMed volunteers’ contributions. Here are just a few examples of great works by volunteers in fiscal year 2009.

• 1,197 individual volunteers gave a combined 112,955 hours of service throughout the WakeMed Health & Hospitals system to patients, staff and families.
• The volunteer-sponsored fund raisers contributed over $83,000 to support WakeMed programs and services. 
• 112 departments system wide received support from WakeMed volunteers.
• 5,218 Patient Relations Ambassadors patient visits and surveys were completed, recorded, reported and analyzed.
• 38 teams of Hospitality Pets completed 6,132 visits to patients and made untold numbers of physician, staff and family “touches” in the process. 
• Hundreds of huggables and dolls for children and adults, quilts for palliative care and adult patients, booties and caps and burial gowns and blankets and outfits for babies are hand-made by volunteers every year.

Volunteers are part of our story, part of our success and part of our vision for the future. And, I thank each and every WakeMed volunteer for their dedication and continued support.

Is volunteering for you? Click here to learn more about our program.