CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Hospital recently honored its volunteers at a luncheon at the St. Charles Café for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Hands That Serve, Hearts That Care.”
Clearfield Hospital is proud of its more than 150 volunteers who serve in various capacities in the organizations. As Good Will Ambassadors, our Volunteers provide many extra services that add to the comfort, care, and happiness of patients, their families and visitors. They improve the quality of care and help contain medical expenses. Clearfield Hospital Volunteers are invaluable to the everyday operation of many departments. They create a friendly environment and brighten the day for Hospital patients, as they assist with the special needs of our patients and their families. Our volunteers work in The Cottage and the Chaplaincy Program and are members of our Auxiliary. Some of them staff the Information Desk and the Emergency Room/Registration Desk to give directions to our visitors. Volunteers work in the Ambulatory Care Unit to direct families of surgical patients and oversee the waiting room. Others provide escort services for our patients. Hospice is also blessed with outstanding volunteers. There are also Administrative, Cancer Center, Lifeline, Special Project, and Comfort Care Volunteers who all give tirelessly of themselves.
Jon Steen, Vice President of Human Resources and Support Services, and Kathy Bedger, Chief Nursing Officer, applauded the volunteers for their efforts throughout the year. The invocation was given by Lay Minister, Richard Barkley. Representing the Clearfield Hospital Board of Directors was Geraldine Radomsky.
David McConnell, President and CEO of Clearfield Hospital, commended the volunteers for their service and dedication to the Volunteer Program of Clearfield Hospital.
Also expressing her appreciation was Mary Sue Diehl, President of the Hospital Auxiliary. Ms. Diehl thanked Donna Shaw for the outstanding job she does managing The Cottage and for the endless hours she dedicates to the Hospital. She thanked Ginny Johnson, Program Director for Lifeline, and Nina Johnson, Director for the Comfort Care Program, for their hard work and dedication in their respective programs. She also thanked the other officers of the Auxiliary; Gigi Gearhart, President-Elect and Foundation for Health Representative; Donna Shaw, Vice President of Membership; Gail Adams, Treasurer; Lorna Simcox, Assistant Treasurer; and Theda Jean Lawhead, Corresponding Secretary, and Audrey Heichel, Recording Secretary.
Colleen Yeager, Patient Advocate/ Hospital Volunteer Coordinator, presented pins to all Hospital Volunteers, and special recognition was given for their cumulative hours of service to the Hospital. Ginny Johnson, Program Director of Lifeline, was honored for 10,000 cumulative hours of service; Kris Strattan, who volunteers in the Chemo Clinic, as well as at the Information Desk and the Escort Service, was honored for 9,500 hours of service. Donna Shaw, Director of The Cottage Shop at the Hospital, was honored for 8,500 hours of service. Evelyn Bowers, Information Desk and Escort Volunteer, was honored for 8,000 hours of cumulative service, while Martie Roos, Information Desk and Escort Volunteer, was honored for 5,500 hours and Pauline French, Cottage Volunteer, was honored for 4,500 hours. They were followed by Nina Johnson, Director of the Comfort Care Program; and Tobe Woods, Information Desk and Escort Volunteer, were honored for 4,000 hours of service. Bea Harper, Cottage Volunteer, was honored for 3,000 hours, and Jo Folmar, Cottage Volunteer, was honored for 2,500 hours. Betty Hartshorne and Tom Shimshock, Information Desk and Escort Volunteers, were honored for 2,000 hours of service. Homer Breault, Information Desk, Escort, and Cancer Center Volunteer, Robert Fehl and Dottie O’Dell, Information Desk, Escort, and Cancer Center Volunteer, were honored for 1,500 hours. Those honored for 1,000 hours were Orlando Carfley and Tom Lippert, Information Desk and Escort Volunteers, and Marie Sansone, Cottage Volunteer. May Grenus, Cottage and Chaplaincy Volunteer; Mary Kay Master, Cancer Center Volunteer; Deb Pulcinello, Comfort Care Volunteer; and William O’Dell, and Diane and Tony Sutusky, Information Desk and Escort Volunteers, were honored for 500 hours of service. Those with 100 hours of service were Eric Johnson, Lifeline Volunteer; Ethel Kephart and Patty Moyer, Cancer Center Volunteers; Norma Lippert and Marlene Yarger, Information Desk and Escort Volunteers; Fran Marano and Mary Mullen, Cottage Volunteers; and Esther Teeter, Comfort Care Volunteer.
Colleen Yeager introduced Judy Mellgard as the Hospital’s new Patient Advocate/Chaplaincy Volunteer Coordinator. Judy praised the lay Chaplaincy volunteers for their friendly visits to patients in the Hospital and the ministers in the program for making themselves available to Clearfield Hospital patients round the clock, seven days a week.
The volunteers who work with the Chaplaincy Program at the Hospital are as follows: Joyce Michaels, May Grenus, Herman Neamy, Florence Rogers, Richard Barkley, Emmylou Accordino, Eugene Williams, Delores Fye, Eleanor Bodle, and Betty Reed. Volunteer Clergy are Reverend Virginia Eminhizer, Captains Dulcie and James Fletcher, Reverend Rodger Gorton, Reverend Jennifer Heikes, Reverend Matthew Holbert, Reverend Ken Leonard, Reverend Dr. Doug Pride, Reverend Robert Rupp, Reverend John Spencer, Reverends Carla and Glenn Williams.
Judy Hixon, Hospice Manager, addressed the Hospice Volunteers and thanked them for their commitment of time to the Hospice Program and how much their compassion and tenderness towards their patients is appreciated by the patients, their families, the Hospice team, and the Hospital.
Dana Wilson, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, presented recognition awards to Pauline Bennett for having the most patient hours, with over 500 hours of service in 2008. Donald Dinant was honored for over 400 hours of service, while Geraldine Jacobson was honored for over 200 hours of service. Those honored for more than 100 hours of service in 2008 were Annie Lumadue, Ruth Shonce, Jane Davis, Delores Fulesday, Judy Swisher, Phyllis Bauman, and James Hummel. Tina Swales, Carole Litz Cepriano, Betty Schenk, Bernice Condon, and Donna Veihdeffer were honored for over 50 hours of service to Hospice in 2008.
Special awards presented by Wilson were the Community Support Awards to Burton Maines from Wal-Mart, and Tina Swales from Clearfield Burger King. Most Accumulated Hours Award went to Pauline Bennett, while Donald Dinant and Delores Fulesday, were presented with Administrative Support Awards. Patient Care Awards went to Geraldine Jacobson, and Louise Kennedy. Honored as the Bereavement Support Volunteer was Judy Swisher; The Flowers for Friends Award was presented to Burton Maines and Emily Shurer.
Entertainment for the event was provided by Brenda Weber. Brenda is a Pharmacist at Clearfield Pharmacy, as well as a very talented singer.
Clearfield Hospital feels fortunate to have so many wonderful volunteers and would encourage anyone interested in joining us to give us a call. For information on becoming a Hospital Volunteer, call Colleen Yeager at 768-2391. For information on becoming a Hospice Volunteer, call Dana Wilson at 768-2007.
