NHH has 40,000 reasons to celebrate Volunteer Week
By Cecilia Nasmith
For National Volunteer Week, Northumberland Hills Hospital had more than 40,000 reasons to celebrate – the estimated number of hours given by almost 400 volunteers, for whom they hosted an appreciation event April 22.
The luncheon they hosted at the Best Western Cobourg Plus Inn and Convention Centre was the largest to date of its annual volunteer-appreciation events, with more than 185 volunteers in attendance.
This amazing corps supports hospital service to the community in eight different groups – Auxiliary board and volunteers, Board and Community Committee members, Foundation (including board, committee, volunteer, event cabinets and others), Patient and Family Advisory Council partners, Spiritual Care volunteers, St. John Therapy Dog volunteers, Transplant Ambassadors, and Integrated Stroke Peer Support visitors.
While each of the different teams plays its own unique roles, they share a common commitment to support local hospital services and care.
Reflecting on her own first positive impression of NHH (which began when she was two NHH Auxiliary volunteers), President and Chief Executive Officer Susan Walsh said that impression set a tone - “a feeling, a warmth that has stayed with me. In fact, it has only grown stronger. I sincerely hope all NHH volunteers understand how widely this appreciation is shared.
“At NHH, we come together around a shared purpose – People First, It's about more than delivering exceptional clinical care. It's creating an environment where every interaction helps to foster a positive relationship with patients, families, staff, providers and partners,” Walsh said.
“NHH wouldn't be NHH without volunteers and the support, creativity, compassion and energy that you bring to our hospital.”
Vice-President of Patient Experience, Public Affairs and Strategic Engagement Jennifer Gillard added her hope that the service they give “enriches your lies as much as it enriches the experience of care at NHH.”
Gillard shared the results of the hospital's second annual Volunteer Experience Survey, noting that their continuing strong support “is something precious we all have a part in preserving. It's our hope that, by gathering information on your experience as volunteers, tracking it over time and developing actions to address opportunities, we will continue to foster an environment where all volunteers feel welcome, empowered and appreciated,”
The keynote speaker was Amy Coupal, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Caregiver Organization, expounded on this year's Volunteer Week theme, Igniting Volunteerism. The work of her organization is to support Ontario's caregivers, and she celebrated a pilot program that NHH is offering in partnership with the OCO and Ontario Health Team of Northumberland, the Essential Care Partner program.
“Three out of four of Ontario's 4.2-million caregivers say they are so burnt out they don't know if they can keep going,” Coupal said.
“Volunteers are so deeply important to the giving and receiving of care, especially in the hospital setting. I congratulate NHH on their Essential Care Partner program that recognizes the importance of including caregivers as part of the caregiving team and the importance of providing support.”
As for this year's theme, Coupal said, “your volunteer community has been 'ignited.' Now the goal is to maintain that fire burning to ensure we have a pipeline of volunteers to sustain and meet the needs of our communities.”
Gillard concluded the event by thanking the event's organizing committee, led by Interim Volunteer Lead Rachael Milne, with support from Director of Health Information, Patient Experience and Privacy Courtney Shields and Communications Officer Micol Marotti. Community supporters for the event included VOS Theatre in Cobourg and the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope for contributing door prizes, as well as Jeff Gibbons of Gibbons Wealth Management and RBC Securities who supported the floral gifts.
