St. Mark’s Medical Center Brings Back Purple Angels
St. Mark’s Medical Center (SMMC) reactivated its volunteer program and invited current and new members to share their time and talents during a recent gathering that included updated protocol training.
“We are pleased to have our Purple Angels returning to the hospital,” said Mark Kimball, president and CEO of SMMC. “They are a vital component of the compassionate care that our patients and their families expect and appreciate at St. Mark’s. Our longtime volunteer program president, Mary Kahanek, is an invaluable asset to us, as she inspires and engages the group of 70 dedicated individuals.”
President of the group since 2014, Kahanek has logged more than 4,300 volunteer hours with the hospital, starting at Fayette Memorial during summer and Christmas breaks from teaching at nearby Fayetteville schools. She has since retired after 36 years, and now volunteers every week. Having served in several areas of the hospital, Kahanek enjoys visiting with patients the most, “I love helping people and it just gives me such a good feeling in my heart to do it.”
Volunteer assignments offer a wide range of options, from first points of contact at guest relations, registration, or the radiology desk, to patient interaction in clinical areas, including the emergency room, medical surgery and recovery. Others find fulfilment by staffing the hospital’s gift shop or maintaining the beautiful healing garden. Volunteers may choose to schedule consistent four hour weekly shifts, be on call to substitute for one of their peers, or provide special project support, such as for fundraising events.
“We have volunteers who have been with us for many years and have seen significant changes to the advancements in patient care available at St. Mark’s,” said SMMC chief clinical officer, Tammy Hartfield, RN, MSN. “We love that even with those changes, there is still the constant of the warmth and caring attention that our volunteers provide to all who enter our facility.”
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Call SMMC’s Debbie Hinkley, RN, at (979) 242-2280. Volunteers must be a minimum of 18 years old, of good health, and possess a love for our patients to serve in the program.
St. Mark’s Medical Center is a 65-bed, 100,000 sq. ft. community hospital serving residents of Fayette County and surrounding communities. At St. Mark’s Medical Center, patients benefit from the latest medical technology along with comprehensive healthcare from highly skilled physicians, nurses and professional staff. Our services include cardiac rehabilitation, wound care, orthopedic care, inpatient and outpatient care, a 24-hour emergency department, outpatient/elective surgeries and procedures, as well as laboratory and imaging services.