FROM THE PRESIDENT

This issue of Texas Medical Center News is proud to recognize the nearly 20,000 volunteers who contribute to the Texas Medical Center's member institutions. Volunteers are needed at all hospitals to add human touches and friendly faces that help patients feel better while recovering. Volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks and invaluable services that assist patients, visitors and staff in hundreds of ways each day.

Many volunteers go to great lengths to assist the TMC institutions. Some travel a good distance to be here, and most work, many of them full time. Some are disabled, while others are recovering from serious illnesses.

Some volunteers in the Texas Medical Center use their professional skills and talents to make a difference. Take Barry Brandt, Ben Taub Hospital's Volunteer of the Year. Shortly after he signed on to volunteer, the staff learned that he was a self-employed computer consultant. He saved the Harris County Hospital District many thousands of dollars by creating a database for the growing volunteer departments at Ben Taub, LBJ and Quentin Mease Hospitals and the 12 surrounding health clinics. Now, the hospitals and clinics are able to accomplish tasks such as electronically counting volunteer hours and creating mailing lists.

Another TMC volunteer saluted this year joins us from "Down Under." Jan Bartlett, The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center's Volunteer of the Year, has been soothing patients with her Australian accent and gentle touch for almost five years. Many new Hospice volunteers have benefited from her experience, as she takes time to train and mentor them during her regular Saturday morning shift at the Patient Care Center.

This year, National Volunteer Week is April 22 to 28, and International Volunteer Day is Dec. 5. The Texas Medical Center will hold its 16th annual Salute to Volunteers Thursday, April 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Arabia Shrine Center. This year's theme, "Together We Change the World," is most appropriate, as 2001 is the International Year of the Volunteer. The National Volunteer Council is challenging all Americans to recognize the shared traditions of volunteering and to commit to volunteering as a unifying force to build a strong community.

I encourage the readers of TMC News to try their hand at volunteering. Select a volunteer assignment that utilizes professional skills or a form of community service that taps into creativity. We salute and thank each and every person who volunteers in the Texas Medical Center for his or her time, talent and energy.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/04_01_01/page_11.html