St. Mark’s Medical Center Celebrates Volunteer Month and “Purple Angels”
-
Auxiliary members and guests during the annual Appreciation dinner. -
Left to right, Joyce Caddell receives her Auxiliary service pin for 3,500 hours shared from Mary Kahanek, Auxiliary president.
St. Mark’s Medical Center (St. Mark’s) is recognizing its “Purple Angel” volunteer program during National Volunteer Month and inviting new participants to share their time and talents.
“The Purple Angels are a vital component of the compassionate care that our patients and their families expect and appreciate at St. Mark’s,” said Mark Kimball, President and CEO of St. Mark’s. “Our longtime volunteer program president, Mary Kahanek, is an invaluable asset to us, as she inspires and engages everyone around the hospital.”
President of the group since 2014, Kahanek began volunteering at Fayette Memorial during summer and Christmas breaks from teaching at nearby Fayetteville schools. Since retiring, she now volunteers every week. Having served in several areas of the hospital, Kahanek enjoys visiting with patients the most, “God’s given me the ability to help, and doing so leaves such a good feeling in my heart.”
Another longtime volunteer at St. Mark’s, Joyce Caddell, was recognized at The Annual Auxiliary Appreciation dinner for volunteering over 3,500 hours with the hospital’s program. Caddell most frequently has supported patients and their families in St. Mark’s emergency department, and was presented with her milestone pin by Kahanek. Auxiliary members have individually shared between 100 and 6,500 hours during their participation with the Purple Angels.
Volunteer assignments offer a wide range of options, from first points of contact at Guest Relations or Radiology, to patient interaction in clinical areas, including the Emergency Room. Others find joy in maintaining the peaceful setting of Kelley’s Healing Garden. Volunteers may choose to schedule consistent four-hour weekly shifts, or be on-call to substitute for one of their peers.
“Our volunteers who have been with us for many years have seen generations of family members get their health care at St. Mark’s,” said St. Mark’s Chief Clinical Officer, Tammy Hartfield, RN, MSN. “We love that there is consistency in the warmth and caring attention that our volunteers provide to all who enter our facility.”
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Call St. Mark’s volunteer program president, Mary Kahanek at (979) 2497151. To serve in the program, volunteers must be a minimum of 18 years old, in good health, and possess a love for patients.
For more information about St. Mark’s Medical Center, visit: smmctx.org.