Houston Healthcare Volunteers – The heart of the team

This week Houston Healthcare celebrated National Volunteer Week by recognizing and honoring their volunteers at Houston Medical Center and the Perry Hospital. The volunteer services program started at Houston Healthcare many years ago in the 1960s and has grown today with 175 volunteers.

“We are very proud of our volunteers and they set the example for our hospital,” said Melissa Phagan, executive assistant to the CEO/volunteer services coordinator for Houston Healthcare.

Phagan said the volunteers help operate the gift shops at Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital as well as doing patient transport and man the information desks.

“They’re really involved with 17 departments within Houston Healthcare,” Phagan said. “They also host different fundraisers for the hospitals and the funds raised go back into the hospitals. Over the past several years not only have they donated money to the volunteer medical clinic, but also they have purchased equipment such as wheel chairs for the hospital and give money to the pavilion family medicine clinic. At the Perry Hospital they donated money to have a healing garden there for patients to visit.”

Not only does Houston Healthcare have adult volunteers, but they also have a summer volunteer program for teenagers that lasts six weeks. Phagan said last year with both hospitals combined they worked 34,000 hours, which is about $384,000 dollars worth of savings to Houston Healthcare.

“34,000 hours is about what we are averaging annually,” Phagan said. “We have had some who have been here over 30 years and have worked 16,000 hours over those years. I believe this year is the largest group we have ever had at our volunteer appreciation luncheon, held Tuesday. Again we are so proud of them and very grateful for their service.”

Ann Bailey became a volunteer in March of 2016 and received her pin Tuesday for volunteering 1,000 hours.

“I retired after 36 years as a civilian from the Department of Defense,” Bailey said. “I came to Warner Robins because of family reasons. I started working at Sharon’s Flower House for 13 years and when I left there, I came on my own will to volunteer and have enjoyed every minute of it. Helping others is very rewarding and I enjoy both the people I work with and who come into the hospital.”

Jay Hamilton started nine years ago as a volunteer and has work 6,900 hours over those years.

“I moved here from Alabama to be near my daughter,” Hamilton said. “One day someone talked to me at church about volunteering. So I applied to volunteer and have really enjoyed it. It’s very rewarding helping others and volunteering helps me as well as far as the physical side of it, escorting patients in wheel chairs. The people here at Houston Healthcare are more like a family to me because most of the people I grew up with are all gone now.”

Edward Gregory has volunteered now for a little over 19 years and received his 12,000 hours pin Tuesday at the volunteer appreciation luncheon.

“I started serving my country when I was 17, I joined the Navy,” Gregory said. “I spent four years in and then went into the Air Force. I worked for the government on base for 20 years. After I retired there I wanted to do something else so I decided to come volunteer here. I really enjoy working with the people here. I like the fellowship with people who come into the hospital. This is my life and I consider it to be my home and family here. We have great leadership with Melissa and Kathy and it’s just a great place to be.”

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer for Houston Healthcare you can call the Volunteer Services Office at 478-542-7753 or go online to www.hhc.org.