I cannot tell people often enough how much there is to be grateful for living in such a generous, selfless community. At the heart of our community, thousands of generous individuals tirelessly dedicate their time and energy to helping others and ensuring their well-being, often caring for others they have never met. As the coordinator of such remarkable humans at Sheridan Memorial Hospital (SMH), I am fortunate to witness, feel and experience the difference our volunteers make in our community and how helping others can really come full circle in helping oneself.
There are encounters, big and small, with our volunteers that make a difference to those who walk through any of our hospital doors. As an organization, we strive to live our mission “to provide our community with excellent patient-centered care.” Patient-centered care includes the obvious – our patients. However, with a patient at the center of something, there must also be something, or someone, to surround them. At SMH, we strive to care for the whole patient by supporting visitors, families, caretakers, friends, and all others who make up any patient’s team.
From greeting patients and families with a warm smile to assisting with administrative tasks, volunteers play a crucial role in creating that supportive, welcoming and compassionate environment at SMH. In their own ways, each volunteer embodies this spirit by extending their care and compassion to everyone they encounter.
It is the conversation with a volunteer that goes from talking about the weather to discussing the latest books they like to reach to sharing photos of their grandkids and/or pets, momentarily forgetting a loved one is in surgery.
It is hospice volunteers supporting the caretakers and families before, during and after a patient’s hospice journey, in their joy and in their grief.
It is engaged and connected individuals who dedicate time as a board director to Sheridan Memorial Hospital, The Foundation, and Green House because they believe in rural healthcare, having care when you least expect it and need it most.
It is the Auxiliary’s 65-year tradition of putting on the 5-year-old birthday party where a volunteer helps, remembering when she attended the first-ever party with her own son 65 years ago when he turned five.
Our volunteer’s actions reflect the true essence of community care, and we are proud to have such dedicated individuals as part of our team. Whether decorating the hallways during the holidays, helping a patient feel at ease during a difficult time, or supporting a family member in need, our volunteers go above and beyond to make a positive difference with all they encounter in our hospital hallways.
However, they are not just our volunteers. When patients and families choose Sheridan Memorial Hospital, they are entrusting us with their health and well-being. One of the most profound aspects of our volunteers’ contributions is the trust they place in us to care for them, their friends and their loved ones.
One of our SMH volunteers who, in many ways, supports SMH and efforts to grow for our community, contributed to the transformed Transitional Care Unit completed in the fall of 2022. Fast forwarding eight months, I got a call from her letting me know that she wouldn’t be in for a “little” bit to volunteer as she wasn’t feeling her best. She had been rushed to emergency care and later found out she had pneumonia and needed to have a “little” procedure for a partially collapsed lung. I know she was trying not to worry everyone, but a “little” bit? Two weeks later, she was transferred to SMH’s Transitional Care Unit (TCU), where she would stay for the next six weeks. During one of our visits, I distinctly remember her saying, “I couldn’t make it to the TCU open house, and you kept telling me to come get a tour when I was volunteering. I’m so glad it’s here, but this sure wasn’t how I planned to see it.” At that moment, she reaffirmed to me that volunteering made her feel connected to the patient care our community hospital staff and volunteers provide right here at home. To her, this was our mission in action and that SMH is there when we least expect it but need it most.
As organizations celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month nationwide, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the volunteers who serve Sheridan Memorial Hospital. To the hundreds of volunteers our visitors have encountered, your efforts make a significant difference in the lives of our patients and their families, and we are incredibly fortunate to have you as part of our team. Thank you for your unwavering dedication, compassion, and commitment to caring for our community. Your service is a testament to the power of community and the difference you make through selfless giving. We couldn’t do it without you.
To learn more about Volunteering at SMH, or to share a story about a hospital volunteer, please reach out to Development Coordinator Jasmine Slater at 307.675.2620 or by clicking HERE.
