Volunteers Show Nature of Caring

HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY - During the past year, over 400 adult and junior volunteers provided over 43,800 hours of service at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton).

"The devotion shown by our many volunteers is a wonderful gift to our patients, physicians and staff," says Ellen Guarnieri, president and CEO of RWJ Hamilton. "From the newest volunteer to those who have been with us for over 35 years, we applaud their service and take inspiration from them. They help us maintain our commitment to providing Excellence Through Service."

The volunteers, who give freely of their time and skills, play an important role in personalizing patient care. "By definition, the act of volunteering is the nature of caring," says Kathryn Gabel, RWJ Hamilton's manager of volunteer services. "We have a diverse volunteer team ranging in age from 14 to 89. They hail from all walks of life and have answered a personal call to give back to others."

Volunteers have unique opportunities to reach patients in non-traditional ways, in addition to performing traditional duties relating to customer service and office assistance. They regularly visit the hospital to play the harp, provide Reiki therapy, bring pet therapy dogs for patient visits, sketch portraits or dress as clowns (humor therapists) to brighten patients' spirits. In fact, Bumper "T" Caring Clowns, who are on campus several times a week, were the recipient of the 2008 New Jersey Governor's Volunteer Award in the category of "most innovative."

As manager of RWJ Hamilton's volunteer program, Gabel's goal is to match the interests of volunteer applicants with appropriate departments. She strives to develop successful long-term partnerships between volunteers and the departments they serve. "A person can really feel like he or she is contributing to the overall mission of the organization," says Gabel. "In addition, our volunteers meet new people and develop long-standing friendships. It's a win-win-win situation: for the volunteers, the organization and our patients."

RWJ Hamilton will honor its many adult volunteers with a special recognition dinner on May 4, 2009. The volunteers, who give freely of their time and skills, play an important role in personalizing patient care.

For more information about RWJ Hamilton's volunteer program, call 609.584.6770.

More About RWJ Hamilton
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) is the only New Jersey hospital to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Located in Hamilton Township, NJ, the hospital is part of the RWJ Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-RWJ Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The RWJ Hamilton Health Care Corporation serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, three affiliated medical groups, seven Lakeview Child Centers, and the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, home of a medically-based fitness center and the hospital's extensive community education program. Over 1,900 hospital employees and 650 medical staff physicians share RWJ Hamilton's passion for Excellence Through Service. For more information, visit www.rwjhamilton.org.