In April, traditional hospital volunteers and volunteer chaplains were celebrated with a luncheon at Brick Landing Plantation. Speakers at the event included Cindy Cheatham, of Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter and a Novant Health Foundation Brunswick Medical Center board member; Rick Crane, MD, chief of medical staff; Shelbourn Stevens, president; Deborah Rochelle, manager of volunteers and guest services; and Fran Salone-Pelletier, lead chaplain for the hospital.
“From 2010 until now, we went from an average of 60 volunteers to 145 volunteers currently,” Rochelle said. “In addition, we increased from approximately 10,000 volunteer hours in 2010 to more than 30,000 hours in 2013. The volunteer contribution is remarkable.”
In addition to the number of hours given, other volunteer contributions that were celebrated included the success of the year’s volunteer fundraisers, the thousands of newspapers that were delivered by volunteers to patients during the year, and the hundreds of recycled notepads created and distributed in 2013. Hospital volunteers were also able to donate three $1,500 healthcare scholarships to Brunswick Community College nursing students in 2013, and the chaplains provide volunteer chaplaincy services to hospital patients 24 hours per day, seven day a week, Special recognition went to the four hospital volunteers who have contributed the most hours in their tenure: Diane Marinella, 4,300 hours; Richard Seidler, 4,500 hours; Fayann Nichols, 4,700 hours; and Carolyn Moskowitz, 5,900 hours. Each of these loyal volunteers received the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
In May, the hospital’s home volunteers were recognized with an afternoon tea at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center . Home volunteers knit blankets and caps for newborns and senior patients, sew teddy bears for children who are patients at the hospital and knit prayer shawls that volunteer chaplains share with patients.
There are currently more than 45 community groups or individuals in the area providing special, handmade gifts such as these to Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center patients.
“Every day, our volunteers give unselfishly of themselves, from the smile and greeting at the door to the assistance someone needs in the surgical waiting room or the gift for the new baby,” Rochelle said. “Our volunteers are truly exceptional people.” For more information on Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center’s volunteer program or to request an application, call (910) 721-1484 or visit www.NovantHealth.org/Volunteer.
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