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| Vol. 25, No. 6 |
| April 1, 2003 |
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Make Time, Make Friends, Make a Difference Hospital volunteering offers the opportunity to touch people’s lives through compassion and understanding while making friends, developing interests, and acquiring skills and knowledge. The Methodist Hospital has a volunteer program to enhance the patient experience by reaching out to patients, families and visitors, and strengthening the hospital’s role as a leading health care provider. Since its inception, the volunteer program has been an integral part of the hospital’s system. The Methodist Hospital has three volunteer groups: The Methodist Hospital Auxiliary, The Methodist Hospital Service Corps, and Caring Friends. Each group provides unique opportunities for prospective volunteers. The auxiliary assists the hospital in raising funds to purchase new equipment through the gift shop, thrift shop, bazaar and vendor sales. Their sewing group also makes hand-fashioned items for patients. Members of the Service Corps support patients, families and visitors in a variety of important service areas that enhance the patient’s experience while at the hospital. Caring Friends offers opportunities for adults and teens by working in patient units as well as emergency and surgery waiting rooms. A commitment of as few as four hours a week enables students between the ages of 15 and 18 to participate in a year-round youth program. Volunteers have been an important part of The Methodist Hospital tradition for more than 80 years. Steeped in a long history of service excellence, their goals remain the same – to serve the community and the hospital with compassion, dedication, devotion, and financial support. In December 2002, The Methodist Hospital Cancer Services was chosen by CanCare as a site for their volunteers. CanCare’s goal is to match a volunteer survivor with a newly diagnosed patient with a similar cancer profile. CanCare volunteers conducted approximately 600 patient visits during the months of December through February. For information on becoming a volunteer, call (713) 441-3351.
©2006 Texas Medical Center
E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
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