Casa Grande, Arizona – October 20, 2009 – As the national television networks focus on volunteerism across the country by featuring volunteer story lines in over 90 primetime programs this week (Oct. 19-Oct. 25), Casa Grande Regional Medical Center (CGRMC) recognizes the 345 volunteers who served the hospital during the last fiscal year (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009).
Together, these volunteers contributed a total of 31,289 hours to the hospital in a variety of capacities, ranging from patient interactions and customer service positions to clerical and support services. Of these 345 volunteers, 170 were new to CGRMC and the volunteer services department had a 26 percent increase in total service hours over the previous year. Thirty-five high school and college students participated in CGRMC's summer program this year.
Rona Curphy, President and CEO of CGRMC, commented, "Compassion is the common thread that is woven throughout the Volunteer Services Department. On average, the volunteers of this department provide 86 hours a day of service to our organization. We thank each of them for their contributions and for making a difference to our staff, patients and community."
Some of these differences were made by the "P.A.W.S" with Dogs program which visited 3,622 patients this year. Another 140 patients had a Life or Baby Story written about them by a volunteer. The hospital's front desk volunteers served 20,576 people during the year, while the Courtesy Cart volunteers provided 6,897 rides to patients and visitors. Finally, our ordained Volunteer Chaplains comforted 4,654 patients during their hospital stay.
Each of these volunteers contributes significantly to CGRMC's mission "to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve through compassion and excellence in patient care." While numbers tell part of the story, it is the compassion, dedication, and loyalty of these volunteers that cannot be measured and truly makes a difference to CGRMC and the community of Casa Grande.
If you are interested in making a difference in our community through volunteering, you may apply at the hospital's website www.casagrandehospital.com in the volunteer section or contact Volunteer Coordinator Karen Kerr-Osman at (520) 381-6571 for more information.
