April 17, 2018

Maine Medical Center would not be the same without our volunteers. Volunteers at MMC logged 45,868 hours in 2017 and supported 73 departments. In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, here are some of their stories about why they love to volunteer:

Anne Wadleigh Therapy Dog Volunteer

So many patients have ex-pressed huge thanks for bringing my dog to visit. Families enjoy it a great deal, as well as visitors. The staff love it, too. I believe we have a truly positive im-pact on everyone we visit.

One day, just as we went into the visitors waiting ar-ea, a person came in and said it was perfect timing. This person was quite trau-matized by what had hap-pened to a family member, and they and their friends were really happy to see my dog and be comforted by her. Another patient, who had many animals and

animal stories, cried when I gave her the card with my dog’s picture on it. She was very happy to see us.

Karen St. Clair Reiki Volunteer

Reiki provides a sense of control for patients to be a part of their healing. When I walk into their rooms, patients are relieved and eager for an alternative to the medical regiment. They are impressed and grateful that MMC offers Reiki.

Nigar Tabatabai Patient Experience

Volunteer

I feel that I am part of a community. We are de-signed to help one anoth-er. Bottom line, it just feels good inside to help others. I enjoy meeting people from different back-grounds and cultures while volunteering. It keeps me mentally stimulated and provides a sense of pur-pose. It has given me one of the best experiences of my life.

Thank a Volunteer this National Volunteer Appreciation Week

Coming Soon!

Employee Appreciation Week

Look for the calendar in next week’s “What’s Happening.”

Anne Wadleigh and her therapy dog, Gypsy, pose at the Planet Dog Ball benefitting The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. Photo courtesy: Charity Clark Photography

40 Years Robin Grigsby, Quality Customer Service Martha Mita, Endoscopy 35 Years Denise Bourgoin, Endoscopy Daryl Cook, IS Lynne Gobeil, PCS Administration 30 Years Ruth Smillie, Family Birth Center 25 Years Shelley Chorney, CPI Wendy Osgood, Adult Medicine 20 Years Beth Burke, Occupational Therapy Lisa Burnett, P3CD Sandra Coombs, Coding Paul Creedon, R3 Sheila Descoteaux, Pediatric Specialty Care Janine Garceau, HR Georgia Golder, ED John Lanham, IS Igor Prudovsky, MMCRI Martha Taylor, Anesthesiology 15 Years Jane Andersen, Employee Health Virginia Field, Viral Disease Treatment Center Antonio Floridino, IS Rachel Gagne, NICU

William Jeanblanc, Geriatric Psychiatry Tina McGowan, Scarborough Surgery Center Sean Petone, Engineering 10 Years Melissa Allen, R1 Karen Andrews, Windham Primary Care Dianne Armishaw, Endocrinology Laurie Carpenter, Patient Access Michael Churchill, EVS Susan Dixon, Cardiology Kimberly French, PICU Susanna Girard, Urology Kathleen Googins, Westbrook Primary Care Beth Hallowell, Family Birth Center Pamela Henderson, Cardiology Marie Huff, IS Charlotte Johnson, Credential Verification Christine Mallar, Simulation Center Donna Marchand, HR Marita Marino, Scarborough Surgery Center Sean Murphy, Property Management Edward Noblet, IS Lowella Ouellette, Occupational Therapy Elizabeth Ruarke, Physician Billing Eileen Shaw, Orthopedics

Justin Spaulding, Enterprise Pharmacy Earl Wright, General Mechanical 5 Years Marcia Andrews, Care Management Jennifer Bauer, R1 Michael Becker, Clinical Engineering Jeanene Betters, Hospital Billing Amy Burgess, Westbrook Primary Care Julie Card, Hospital Billing Jacqueline Choudhari, Family Birth Center Tammy Cooper, Otolaryngology Vincent Corbett III, IS Jessica Cross, Family Birth Center Deborah Daney, MMP Administration Mira Denning, Planning Kristina Donnellan, CICU Peter Eastman, HR Nancy Exchange, ED William Ferrara, Payroll Jodi Fournier, ED Timothy Garrett, EVS Katie Godin, Continuing Care Nursery Amanda Guiod, Maternal Fetal Medicine Malia Haddock, Homeless HealthPartners Meagan Hall, Pediatric Specialty Care Victoria Harper, Financial Services

Reegan Hebert, Kids Co-Op Melissa Henry, Neurosurgery Jayne Heselton, ED Desaray Hinkley, Cardiology Maria Hyatt, Turning Point Anna Kent, MMP Administration Lori Kim, Pediatric Specialty Care Da Kong, Linen Processing Shannon La Belle, Neurology Joannah Lapham, Outpatient Care Joseph Martin, Nursing Jennifer McDonald, Perioperative Administration Malinda McKinnon, MaineHealth ACO Heather Meader, Nursing Kelly Megquier, PICU Lisa Miele, Radiology John Morton, Operating Room Marissa Noel, PICU Patrick Quinn, Integrated Project Management Sara Schrock, Neuroscience Institute David Terwilliger, Hospital Medicine Michael Valentine, Neurosurgery Heather Vickerson, Inpatient Care Elitsa Voynova, Café Stephen Washburn, Clinical Engineering