MUHC Volunteers Celebrate During National Volunteer Week
 ĚýĚý |
April 27 to May 3, 2008
MUHC volunteers have cause to celebrate during this year’s National Volunteer Week, which runs from April 27 to May 3, 2008. The Trauma Program Award of Merit, the 15th anniversary of the Cuddles Program and the fifth anniversary of STEP (Student Training and Education Program) are three excellent reasons for celebration, and underscore the value of volunteers in a healthcare centre.
Volunteers play an integral role in the MUHC, helping patients, visitors and staff in a number of ways. Nevine Fateen, Manager of Volunteer Services for the MUHC’s adult sites, explains: “Volunteers provide invaluable support to patients and staff on inpatient wards and in the Emergency Department, escorting patients, visitors and family members while comforting them at the same time.”
Volunteers also offer a comforting presence in the OR and recovery room: they are there when the patient opens his/her eyes, and act as the liaison between the recovering patient and the visiting family members. “There are approximately 1,800 volunteers across the MUHC, ranging in age from 15 to 100-plus years old,” adds Fateen. “Many of them are former employees who have retired from dedicated years of service to the MUHC, but still they continue to support the patients and staff by volunteering their time, their compassion and their experience.”
“Achieving a healing environment would be impossible without the generosity and thoughtfulness of our volunteers, adds Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC. “We are indebted to our corps of volunteers, as this kind of support is the perfect complement to the compassionate exemplary care our healthcare professionals endeavour to provide in each of our hospitals.”
On Thursday April 24, at 10:30 a.m., members of the media are invited to meet some of our dedicated volunteers at the Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 Pine Avenue West, and see them in action as they celebrate the following milestones:
MUHC volunteers celebrate the Trauma Program Award of
Merit for their outstanding work during the Dawson crisis in
2006:
In September 2006, a group of volunteers with special training in
Emergency Measures were among the first to respond to the critical
situation in the Montreal General Hospital emergency room during
the Dawson crisis. These volunteers were there to calm the
distraught families and students in this time of chaos, and to help
the hospital staff, who had been working long hard hours, to care
for the injured patients and their families. The volunteers
coordinated food and refreshments for students, staff and families,
and helped the hospital staff by assisting with the arrangements to
transport stable patients from the Montreal General Hospital to the
Royal Victoria Hospital.
Cuddles Program’s 15th anniversary: volunteers cuddle
tiny newborn babies and care for their older siblings in a
fully-equipped drop-in daycare centre
Cuddling premature newborns creates a nurturing human bond that
stimulates healthy growth and development. If the parents of these
tiny patients are unable to come to the NICU (neonatal intensive
care unit) to visit their babies because they live far away or have
health issues, volunteers step in to provide a warm cuddle to these
tiny infants. The volunteers also help visiting parents who have
other children by supervising these siblings in the NICU drop-in
daycare centre. This helps to support the entire family unit while
encouraging the natural bond between the older sibling and the
newborn baby. “The Cuddles Program is special, as it focuses on the
entire family unit and not just the baby,” adds Fateen.
STEP (Student Training and Education Program) fifth
anniversary: a program that offers volunteer opportunities to
high-school and CEGEP students, along with training in life skills
and career exploration.
“The STEP Program has helped to shape the future of many students
by assisting them in developing their skills and understanding in
the areas of leadership, effective communications, dealing with
loss, managing stress, and the healthcare system” says Fateen.
“Several STEP students have even gone on to pursue careers in the
health sector. In fact, some of them are now studying
medicine.”
For more information on volunteering at the MUHC:
Please visit or
call 514-934-1934, extension 34300
The Ď㽶ĘÓƵ Health Centre
The Ď㽶ĘÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive
academic health institution with an international reputation for
excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner
hospitals are the Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal
General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal
Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine
Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on
the most advanced knowledge in the health care field and to
contribute to the development of new knowledge.
MUHC
Volunteers Celebrate During National Week