TMC: Volunteers

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Because they wore pink vests, the volunteers who helped patients and guests at hospitals across America in years past were called “Pink Ladies.” They’re gone now, not the volunteers, but the pink vests and the designation they inspired.

At Texoma Medical Center guests are greeted by men and women sporting blue vests or jackets eager to help you. The volunteers and the caring work they do made the move from the old hospital to the new TMC and are there to greet you and help you find your way. By helping you feel welcome and calming your apprehensions of the new surroundings, we are an important part of making each visit as pleasant as possible.

If you visit TMC on a Thursday morning, you will find me and other volunteers ready to assist you. Other volunteers serve at other times during the week. For several months, Dorothy Hutchinson, Diane Winters, Cindy Buysse, Otis Higginbotham and I have been fine-tuning a system to give you the best possible service as you enter the hospital. From the greeting at the door, to signing in for the services of the hospital, to escorting you to a registration booth, we are here to help. It gives me pleasure to see the smiles I receive when people realize there is someone to help navigate those first minutes.

TMC has implemented a new pager system with the goal of moving our guests through the registration process more efficiently and discreetly. The pagers are similar to ones used in restaurants around Texoma. Sorry, there’s no hamburger waiting when the pager lights up, but there is a well organized system to get you registered as easily and quickly as possible.

The true delight of our volunteer hours each Thursday are the people we encounter, such as the dapper gentlemen who walked into the lobby in need of a little conversation and directions to the cafeteria. He had heard the food was good and he wanted to try it out.

I recall the young lady who, accompanied by her husband and their family entourage, was in labor and needing immediate help getting to Labor and Delivery. It was a joy to hear later that morning that a healthy baby boy had been born.

Just recently, there was the elderly woman with Alzheimer’s who was at TMC for pre-screening for an upcoming surgery. While her daughter took care of paperwork, I was able to escort the woman to the restroom. We had the best conversation about her husband, her daughter and the job she had held working for the county for many years. She may not remember our time together, but I know the help I provided was meaningful.

Volunteering at TMC is a genuinely rewarding way to serve my community. Being a part of this fine organization is a blessing to me. It has provided me with new friendships and a sense of accomplishment as I meet the needs of both visitors and patients at Texoma Medical Center.

Written by Regina Doden, Volunteer
Texoma Medical Center
Denison, Texas