National Volunteer Appreciation Week
A puzzle is not something that probably comes to mind when you think about a hospital, but each team at St. Mary’s is a puzzle piece that fits together to ensure exceptional patient-centred care and create an environment that reflects our values: compassion, respect, inclusion, integrity, collaboration, and innovation. One piece of our puzzle that truly makes a difference in even the smallest moments is our volunteers; an integral team within the organization that helps support our patients, families, staff, and community.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 300 volunteers provided support in 32 different programs, scattered throughout the hospital. Many of these programs saw volunteers assisting patients and their families on the floors based on the needs of each department, and others were involved in the fundraising side working in the on-site gift shop, vendor program and with the Foundation.
As the waves of the pandemic came and went, so did our volunteers. A piece of the puzzle was missing, and it was a hole felt by everyone: staff, patients, and Care Partners. Our volunteers are known for their bright blue vests, something you can never miss when you walk through the doors of the hospital. Those vests represent what the volunteers are to St. Mary’s: the fabric of this place. We were delighted to bring them back every chance we had, and it was always done in the safest way for our volunteers, staff, patients, and their families.
When the sixth wave hit, volunteers were once again paused in the hospital, and the screeners and care teams had to fill in the gaps as best as possible. We were finally able to welcome them back just over a month ago, however, the program looks very different now to what it was just two years ago.
Currently, about 60 volunteers are in only a handful of areas in the hospital supporting patient care at St. Mary’s. On any given day, most of the volunteers will be found in our outpatient clinics –endoscopy, day surgery and the eye clinic. There they will assist with greeting patients and Care Partners, escorting to bays (if necessary), providing care instructions such as gowning up, and assisting with some easy intake questions to support the care team. They are also there to support and help patients and their Care Partner feel calm, safe and at ease. Volunteers not supporting care in the outpatient clinics will be in the front lobby, escorting patients, and Care Partners to their destination –we don’t want anyone lost in the halls of St. Mary’s! They will also assist in answering questions and providing guidance about paying for parking. The volunteers and screeners have created a partnership in the front lobby that ensures patients and Care Partners are provided with exceptional care the moment they step through the doors.
“Volunteers truly make a difference in the experiences that our patients and their Care Partners have when they visit the hospital,” says Pauline, Manager Volunteer Resources. “They often do the little extra things that staff don’t have the time to do, the things that sometimes make the biggest difference in the experience an individual has while here. I want to thank all of our volunteers for their dedication and commitment to St. Mary’s, because we wouldn’t be who we are without them. They are part of our legacy, and part of our future. We have been recognized provincially for our volunteers, and staff across the hospital have provided feedback about the difference that a volunteer has made. Our volunteers only want the best for our community and that shows in the work that they do every day.”
Our volunteers have shown compassion and patience with every wave of COVID-19 that has hit. Many of the volunteers for St. Mary’s actually went and volunteered with the region at the Covid testing sites and vaccination clinics because they wanted to help the community –despite knowing the risk to themselves.
Volunteers are not only a piece of the puzzle that makes St. Mary’s the exceptional hospital it is, but they are also the heart of it.
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 24-30, and we want to recognize and applaud the amazing work that our volunteers do. So, when you see one of those bright blue vests in the hospital, please take a minute to say “hi” and thank them for their commitment and dedication to our hospital and our community.
(all photos taken pre-pandemic)