PBRMC volunteers touch lives

A group of Poplar Bluff volunteers touch a lot of lives giving of their time and talents, as well as donating money to benefit others.

Gathering recently to plan future projects and donations, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center volunteers talked about giving thousands of dollars in scholarships and sharing information about their jobs and why they volunteer.

Volunteers work in the Violet Patch Gift Shop, Danny Bell Cancer Treatment Center, the Women’s Center, Bone and Joint Center, front lobby, marketing, same day surgery and with the chaplains.

“During October our volunteers worked a total of 648 hours,” said Lacey McClintock PBRMC director of marketing and community relations.

Tom Mace and Sam McClintock said at times they volunteer 90-100 hours a month. While the hospital has between 28 and 30 volunteers, six currently work in the gift shop which is open from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday and Friday except holidays. The proceeds from the gift shop is used for the scholarships and community donations.

“When we first started, we gave scholarships each semester,” recalls Irene Hamm, who has been volunteering 37 years. “In 1984, we started giving a scholarship every year for a number of years. A few years we gave $20,000.”

To earn a scholarship, the recipient has to have worked at the hospital for at least six months or be the child or grandchild of an employee, Hamm said.

Those applying must have a high school diploma or GED diploma or be attending college pursuing a career in the health care field.

The most recent recipient is an registered nurse who is working on her master’s degree which she plans to complete in 2020 and become a nurse practitioner.

Volunteer Luwanna Forister added, when not handing out scholarships, the volunteers “give to charities like the Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Behavioral Health and Kiwanis club’s project to buy backpacks, bags or suitcases for children in foster care.”

Volunteers work in different departments offering a personal touch from the front desk to same day surgery. The volunteers all see their jobs as providing extra comfort and aid, which allows the busy hospital staff to preform their jobs.

Patients who come to the same day surgery area often are really nervous and the volunteers have the time to visit and help them calm down, Mace said.

He and Sam McClintock said, often they help when different departments overlap and have to make rapid calls to security, maintenance and nursing. “We hit the phone and they are there,” Mace said. “We have to be ready for the unexpected.”

The men “get to meet the cool veterans,” they said, adding with big grins especially “the ladies. We have the highest regard for the veterans. So many of our employees are in the National Guard.”

Lacey McClintock explained, volunteers who work in the cancer center and surgery are waiting to comfort patients and their families, as are the volunteers who man the hospitality cart offering free coffee, water and snacks.

Forister said, people visiting “talk to us about family members in the hospital.” As a volunteer, Forister explains she and the others are able to take the time to listen.

“Volunteering is a good thing to do to help a lot of people,” Forister said.

When Forister praised the hospital staff for being “really supportive of volunteers,” Lacy McClintock quickly interjected, “They are the heart of the hospital adding a personal touch.”

“You don’t have to be old,” said Forister, stressing the group is always looking for new volunteers.

Forister said, the younger volunteers often work in the summer to see how they like working in a medical facility.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, Lacy McClintock said. After 18, there is no cap on the age of a volunteer.

“We do require updated immunizations, background checks, drug testing, references and we do call the references,” McClintock said.

Anyone interested in volunteering may call marketing department at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at 573-776-9355.

Other volunteers attending the planning meeting were Mazie Fowler, Gloria Hoover, Barbara Matthews, Betty Sheeby and Ellen Eddleman.