Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Auxiliary members make a world of difference in Fallbrook

Caring volunteers sought during National Healthcare Volunteer Week

With April 27 through May 3 designated National Healthcare Volunteer Week, it is a great time to recognize the wonderful contribution that the devoted volunteers of the Fallbrook Hospital Auxiliary make to our local healthcare community.

The average member of the community may not be aware of the many areas in which these volunteers make a positive difference. Auxiliary volunteers work four-hour shifts in a variety of different jobs, some inside Fallbrook Hospital and others outside. They include:

Admitting desk: Volunteers greet people as they enter the lobby and take the necessary information for hospital personnel. They direct people to Emergency Room registration, escort patients to a variety of departments for scheduled tests and provide general information to the public.

Cardiac Rehab: Auxiliary members provide assistance to rehabilitation personnel in the Wellness Center.

Direct patient care: Volunteers routinely provide newspapers and deliver mail to the patients in the hospital, provide in-house courier service for the nurses’ stations, pharmacy, admitting office and more. They assist patients with meal menus, provide assistance to visitors and help with the discharge of patients being released from the hospital.

Gift shop: Auxiliary members run and staff the gift shop in the hospital. There are opportunities to learn merchandising, stocking, pricing and sales. Funds earned through the gift shop are used for educational scholarships bestowed by the organization.

Medical/Surgical Nurses’ Station: Volunteers assist with phones, paperwork and filing at the nurses’ station.

Needle placement support: Auxiliary volunteers remain with patients undergoing the needle biopsy procedure to provide comfort, reassurance and communication with nurse as patient requests.

Office: Volunteers man the Auxiliary’s office five days a week in three-and-a-half-hour shifts. They assist all departments and staff in the hospital with copy work, typing and other clerical duties.

Courier service: Auxiliary members transport ambulatory patients to and from the patient’s home, the hospital and doctor’s office in Fallbrook, De Luz and Bonsall areas as needed. Members use their own cars with the option of driving the Auxiliary’s van with wheelchair capability. Drivers are reimbursed for fuel costs. [Call (760) 599-3397 for service.]

Blood Bank: Hosted by the Auxiliary on the second Thursday of March, June, September and December, blood drives are held at the Fallbrook Community Center. Auxiliary volunteers assist the Blood Bank staff as needed.

Baby tracks: Volunteers make follow-up calls to new mothers to make sure that they and their babies are doing well and to remind them about the necessary inoculations for wellness purposes.

Fundraising events: The Fallbrook Hospital Auxiliary holds certain events each year to raise money for the educational scholarships they bestow upon deserving young people interested in pursuing careers in the healthcare field. Events include a Holiday Settings luncheon each December and a Stay-at-Home Tea in February.

New volunteers are currently being sought to assist in all aspects of the Auxiliary’s efforts. Bilingual (Spanish-speaking) volunteers are a plus.

For more information, call Barbara Von Nordheim at (760) 723-2662.

 

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