Hospital Employees Stay Involved By Volunteering Time After Hours

While many employees head home at the end of the workday, some Texas Children’s Hospital staff can’t seem to tear themselves away from patients. Several employees volunteer their evenings and weekends in a variety of areas, and opportunities exist for more employees to get involved.

"Our employees always find a way to go the extra mile when it comes to Service with HEART (the motto of Texas Children’s Hospital employees), and volunteering is another way of doing that," said Lupe Canales, assistant director of volunteer services.

"Volunteering in an area where they can have patient contact and provide that special human touch is not only important to the patients and families, but very rewarding for the employee."

The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s has 822 active volunteers, about five of whom are employees.

Beth Twardowski is an employee-volunteer who enjoys interacting with patients and their families. A Texas Children’s employee since 1992, she began volunteering last August.

Twardowski was eager to help when her daughter, Elizabeth, a child-life specialist in the Texas Children’s Heart Center, told her volunteers were needed to keep the 15 Tower playroom open at night. In addition to helping with the playroom, she holds babies in the premature nursery.

"Even if I have had a bad day," Twardowski said, "as soon as I go in and pick up a baby, suddenly, all is right with the world."

Twardowski added that she would encourage others to volunteer.

"It’s easy to give your time, and it makes you feel so good," she said.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation department volunteer Irene Riitho said volunteering at Texas Children’s led her to a job with the hospital. She volunteered while taking classes at Texas Southern University, but had to stop due to school demands.

Upon graduation, Riitho knew exactly where she wanted to work. She joined Texas Children’s as a senior clerical specialist last September and began volunteering again in November.

"I eventually want to go back to school to become a physical therapist," Riitho said. "Volunteering in physical medicine and rehabilitation is great exposure to the profession, and the satisfaction I get from watching patients get better makes it worth it. It also reminds me I am blessed to be physically healthy and able to come in and help the children."

When Riitho is not assisting the physical medicine and rehabilitation staff with clerical work or cleaning toys used in therapy, she observes therapy sessions and entertains patients and siblings in the waiting room.

"Volunteering always has been a part of my life," said Katie Dufour, a health coverage coordinator in marketing and public affairs. "After I started working at Texas Children’s, it was a natural choice for me to volunteer here."

Dufour volunteers one Saturday each month as a mentor to an elementary school student enrolled in the Health Adventures program at Texas Children’s. She helps to lead the student and others on tours of the hospital, explaining the functions of each department or unit.

"I love that I am part of a group that is providing children with a learning opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have," Dufour said.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Texas Children’s Hospital, call the Volunteer Services office at (832) 824-2257 or visit http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org.

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/04_01_02/page_26.html