Family of Volunteers

Emerson Hospital
Family of Volunteers
WINTER
Welcome 2009!
Save the Date
Plan to attend Thursday, April 30
2009
th
The Annual Volunteer Luncheon
11:30am-2:30pm
at the Holiday Inn in Boxboro
Details to follow
Volunteers Needed
Imaging Services:
Female volunteer needed to assist patients during
in-house pre-operative testing in Mammography &
Ultrasound. Provide emotional support and communicate
the process to patients and their families.
Office Volunteer:
Safety Office needs data entry volunteer to help file,
organize and update safety materials. Help with
emergency preparedness tasks; participate in various
drills and exercises. MS Word and Excel skills needed
3-4 hours per week.
Green Committee Volunteer:
Join the Green Committee to help the hospital promote
recycling. Act as a trainer to new volunteers recruited to
recycle disposables in various departments and units.
Trainer must be comfortable working with special needs
volunteers.
Reception Volunteer: Clough Surgical Center
Birthing Center Entrance
Reception volunteers needed to meet and greet visitors
and patients entering the hospital via this new entrance.
Hospital Tour Guide:
Become a hospital tour guide. Guides are trained to present one-hour hospital tours to visitors, new employees
and volunteers.
By Sharon Knox, Director of Community
Services
Greetings Dear Friends!
As we start the new year, I want to express
my sincere thanks for your ongoing volunteer
support and commitment at Emerson Hospital.
I look forward to working with each of you as
we meet the hospital’s needs and develop
new opportunities for growth in 2009.
As I reflect on this past year, I am reminded of Spencer Johnson’s
insightful book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” and how the only constant
in life is change itself. I think you will agree that 2008 was a dynamic
year for change, as it challenged each of us to reevaluate our beliefs,
and values and spending habits.
Reflecting on our accomplishments, new volunteer positions opened
in the Coumadin Clinic, Endoscopy Reception and the new Birthing
Center Reception Lobby. Continuing development and growth
occurred in our Reiki and Greeter programs. The Reiki program now
includes 16 certified Reiki volunteer practitioners. Volunteer greeters
continue to express their enjoyment at meeting and greeting visitors at
the main entrance.
In the fall, we honored the achievements of two long time Transport
volunteers, Mary Narcisi, and Mary Muffin Hester – each were
recognized for more than 40 plus years of volunteer service.
Refer to article on page three.
We are especially thankful to the Emerson Auxiliary who
graciously supported the purchase of a new Stryker stretcher as well
as wheelchairs for our Transport Department.
As the year ended, Community Services converted to a new
volunteer software program. From an administrative standpoint we
welcomed the conversion as the old database was fragile and
susceptible to crashing. The transition was met with mixed reviews
when many of you experienced difficulty logging-in when you came to
volunteer. After securing a new sign-in monitor and recalibrating the
system, I trust the volunteer interface has become more user friendly.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and your feedback with me this year
and for your support to help make Emerson Hospital the best place to
come for care and to volunteer!
Warm Regards for 2009,
Sharon Knox
Road to Recovery
“The First TCU Ultimate
Cookie Bake Off”
“Owww...which one shall I
taste?” asks judge Sally
Mauro
The TCU staff held its
First Annual Ultimate
Cookie Bake off. After
having eagerly trained
and perfected their
favorite mouthwatering
cookie recipes,
the TCU staff bakers
presented the results for
judging. The competition
was fierce, as each contestant tried to impress
the judges and earn both
fortune and fame as the
“Ultimate Cookie”
baker.
“Maybe I’ll tuck a few in my
purse for later...says judge
Barbara Birt
Community Services
Volunteer judges had the
“grueling” task of taste
testing and choosing the
winner for the coveted
honor. An impressive shortlist of entries for consideration included America’s
favorite, Chocolate Chip,
Rocky Road Cookies,
scrumptious, Snow Balls,
and quick and easy, Sugar
Cookies.
Patient Care Tech, Sharon
Shultz, was the winner for
her yummy, Raspberry
Pillows !
Volunteer Marie (Genevieve) Hicks
of Westford became a volunteer for
the TCU Unit on Wheeler 6 after having hip replacement surgery at Emerson Hospital. Marie’s desire after
surgery was to be able to return to a
full life that included snowmobiling
and competitive horseback riding.
Thanks to the involvement of the
TCU staff during her Emerson stay
and following her discharge, Marie is
“back in the saddle” winning blue ribbons with her horse, Spy the
Sun. Post surgery, not only did Marie become physically stronger,
she regained her confidence to participate in a variety of activities
again. JoAnn Dinardo, TCU Nurse Director, commented, “The interdisciplinary team effort that empowered Marie to succeed enabled her to return to the TCU as part of their team so that she in
turn could make a difference in other patients’ recovery.”
Today Marie encourages patients in the TCU during their rehab by
sharing her artistic talents as she designs new arts and crafts
projects and creates greeting cards and self-portraits. TCU Activity
Director, Rita Jarvis, reports, “Marie’s positive experience on the
TCU has allowed her to share her experience with other patients,
offering them encouragement to succeed or to find new goals, and
to enjoy life to the fullest.” Marie expanded her volunteerism to
include working at the hospital’s main reception desk and in the gift
shop on Saturday mornings.
A poster was created for the Massachusetts Senior Care
Association as part of their Call for Innovation Showcase,
featuring Marie’s terrific recovery. The poster was displayed
November 13th at their annual meeting and trade show.
WAY TO GO MARIE!
“Just as good as my mom
used to make!” reports judge
Ray Normand
Happy Birthday Volunteers!!!
Special birthday wishes to our volunteers born in the months
January: Marion Roberts, Douglas Crumbey, Henry Houghton, Jackie Snelling, Robin Comeau,
Cheryl Bouchard, Faith Field, Rose Marie Koester, Jean Cushman, Harry Crowther, Nancy Powell-Daley,
Cara Florio, Lynda Renfroe, Carol Bull
February: Raymond Valentino, Jim Airey, Robert O'Brien, Kitty Picard, Madalyn Wejman, Joe Chiasson,
Deborah Lamont, Peter O'Malley, Sam Wasfy, Nancy Smith, Eleanora Smith, Judith Shanley, Ann Wilson,
Thomas Ruggles,
Marlene Lobo, Mary Narcisi, Daryl Bennett, Kathleen Taranto, Sylvia Haroules, Megan Eckroth, Linda Lopez
March: William Klein, Kay Greene, Nancy Whitcomb, Charles Barker, Marjorie Walsh, Gail Woodbury, Maria Parodos,
Carl Roddy, Juanita Koen, Helen Hays, Margot Holender, Gray Wexelblat, Tina Morgan, Susan Stumpf, John Kling,
Louise Linteri, Merideth DeLamarter, Harvey Jauvtis, Elizabeth Donaldson, Constance Ohlsten, Darcy Marshall, Muffin Hester,
Patty Selin, Shirley Chang, Bette Paparello
April: Nicole Davis, Susan Reeder, Dick Wilson, Jodie Lehman, Frona Vicksell, Sandra Burns, Josie Gump,
Jim Rand, Joyce Maiore, Karen Kruger, Ann Natale, Joanne Butterworth, Evelyn Manley, Carl Torossian, Susan Clark,
Mary Callender, Betty Farfaras, Edith Griffin, Dick O'Malley, Phyllis Sperandio, Alice Van Deusen, Betty Smith, Marcia Jones,
Dorothy Chernak, Robert Daisy, Phyllis Landers
A Life of Service – Congratulations to Mary & Mary By Sharon Knox
Few among us have volunteered for decades donating thousands of hours to help in their community, their hospital, their
church, or their friends. We can usually count on one hand those who have. They are heroes in my mind. Such volunteers
feed us with their labor of love; they motivate us to volunteer and to feast on their insatiable sense of satisfaction.
They are role models for happiness.
This fall two heroic Emerson volunteers, Mary “Muffin” Hester and Mary
Narcisi, were recognized for their long time volunteer contributions. Mary
“Muffin Hester,” Emerson volunteer for 42 years, now working in Transport,
was honored with the AARP 2008 Andrus Award for Community Service.
Each year, AARP honors the legacy of their founder, Dr. Andrus, with the
AARP Andrus Award for Community Service. This award recognizes individuals from each state who have demonstrated the power to improve their
communities in ways that are consistent with AARP’s mission, vision, and
commitment to volunteer service. Muffin has accumulated over 9500 hours
volunteering at Emerson Hospital. She is also active in the Lincoln Council
on Aging, at St. Anne’s Church in Lincoln, the Pine Street Inn, and Rosie’s
Place in Boston.
Mary “Muffin Hester and Senator Susan C. Fargo
Emerson volunteer, Mary Narcisi was recently named Bedford’s 2008 Citizen of
the Year on Bedford Day at town hall where she was recognized for her many years
of volunteer work supporting several local causes. In 1957 Mary moved to Bedford
as a new bride after a career in the Navy Nurse Corps. At Emerson, her first volunteer assignment was in the operating room and then the Emergency Department.
Today, Mary works in the Transport Department. She also volunteers for the Bedford
Free Library, the Bedford Council on Aging, Minuteman Senior Services, St Michael’s
Church, and the VA Medical Center in Bedford. Mary has compiled more than 4,500
volunteer hours over 44 years at Emerson, and another 2,500 volunteer hours over
39 years volunteering at the Department of Veteran Affairs in Bedford.
“A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and
compassion are the things which renew humanity”
Mary Narcisi with Jack Dresser, VP for
Development and Community Services
~Buddha
Healthcare Shopping-Did you know?
Massachusetts residents can now search a new website to compare the cost and quality of care at
different hospitals, part of an ambitious state plan to help control healthcare costs by giving consumers
more information.
According to an article published in the Boston Globe the new site, www.mass.gov/myhealthcareoptions,
gives consumers access to previously confidential information about how much insurers pay individual hospitals for surgical
procedures such as knee and hip replacements and for treating illnesses such as pneumonia. It also allows comparisons of
patient satisfaction ratings and patient safety measures at different hospitals.
The website was required as part of the state's mandatory health insurance law. More than 442,000 people have enrolled in
health insurance programs since 2006, and Massachusetts now has the smallest percentage of uninsured adults in the
country, but the cost of the subsidized insurance is rising fast.
"Transparency is vitally important in both controlling costs and improving quality in the healthcare industry," Dr. Judy Ann
Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said recently in a written statement. "While it remains to be seen how
improved access to price and quality information will impact decision-making, our hope is that the website will empower
consumers to spend healthcare dollars more efficiently and motivate providers to improve quality and decrease their costs."
The Compliment Corner
left to right: Donna Grinnell, Sharon Knox, Christine Schuster, Denise
Haartz, and Dr. John Lowe III. President of Board Emerson Hospital
Christine Schuster receives the Auxiliary/Gift Shop fiscal year
end gift of $200,000 at the Auxiliary’s Annual Meeting in
October. Combined with the Gift Shop contribution of
$110,000, the $200,000 supports a variety of programs,
including vital equipment for our transport volunteers.
Recipe Corner
Dear Christine,
I must convey an exceptional act of kindness
that I witnessed today. A man accidentally
locked his keys in his running vehicle while
helping his elderly father out of the car in front
of the John Cuming Building. After phoning
his wife at his home on Nantucket he
discovered that their AAA Policy was not
Great Job!
renewed this year. He did not have family
Hugh
Chandler
close by to retrieve the spare key from his
father’s home in Wayland, MA.
The volunteer at the front desk of the JCB, Hugh Chandler,
offered to drive the man to his father’s home in Wayland to get
the spare key. The man gratefully accepted the ride.
This is an act that is above and beyond what anyone would
expect, but what is typical of the community of people that
work and volunteer at Emerson Hospital.
BY Virginia Lieblein— Assistant Editor and Designer
I have always run on the theory that the holidays are a time to enjoy all the bounties of the
table, and I sure did! Pass me another piece of
chocolate pecan pie...
But now that the holiday season is over,
I really do have to enter my ritual phase of eating called,
“Eating sensibly to save me from stretchy pants.”
Soups are great because they can be filling and satisfying,
without being too fattening. Try this light recipe and eat well and
by February 14th you can enjoy a delicious box of Valentine’s
Day chocolates!
Tomato Soup Provencal
1/3 cup olive oil
4 leeks, rinsed, dried and minced
3 medium carrot, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 1 fresh orange, grated
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon saffron threads
12 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cans (35oz) plum tomatoes, undrained
2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh basil chopped
Heat oil in stockpot over high heat. Add leeks, carrots, onion and
garlic. Cook and stir 15 minutes. Add orange zest, thyme, fennel
and saffron. Cook, stir, 3 minutes. Add fresh and can tomatoes,
stock and juice. Simmer over medium heat 30 min. Remove from
heat and puree in batches. Add salt and pepper. Return to pot
and bring to simmer. Stir in basil. Garnish with a slice of goat
cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8-10
Recipe Courtesy of Revolutionary Recipes, Concord a la Carte,
Emerson Hospital Auxiliary. Cook books are available at the
Emerson Hospital Gift Shop. Mention you saw this newsletter
and receive a copy for $14.95. (a $10 savings)
Sincerely,
Paula Marcouillier
Office Manager, MRI
Our Bulletin Board needs your help!
Help us “cheer up” the bulletin
board in the Community
Services Office.
Bring us your cute or funny
pictures of your grandkids,
or your pets doing silly
things, or cool pictures of
yourself doing fascinating
stuff... the ideas are endless!
Need a confirmation of your
volunteer hours for 2008 taxes??
See Laura in the CS Office
“Family of Volunteers” is published Spring, Autumn, and Winter by
the Community Services Office, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA.
STAFF
Sharon Knox, Director, Community Services — Publisher
Leonard A. Phillips — Editor and Designer
Virginia Lieblein— Assistant Editor and Designer
Ken Smith — Prepress & Printing
We welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions for stories and
coverage in Family of Volunteers. Please feel free to contact Community
Services at 978-287-3200. The printing of this newsletter is graciously
contributed by HP Indigo, Andover, MA, for the volunteers and staff
of Emerson Hospital.