Volunteers are a significant part of care teams in local health organizations, working alongside doctors, nurses, community health workers, neighborhood navigators, community paramedics, and pharmacists to address the community’s medical and social needs. Each year, the Grossmont Healthcare District recognizes volunteer “Healthcare Heroes” who improve health and quality of life for East Region residents. Nominated by their peers, honorees are considered as true unsung heroes of healthcare whose day-in and day-out work might not otherwise be celebrated. In honor of National Volunteer Week, we’d like to introduce you to this year’s Healthcare Heroes.
Ally Kellogg, Sharp Grossmont Hospital volunteer
Alexandra (Ally) Kellogg has been a volunteer at Sharp Grossmont Hospital since July 2015. During this time, she has contributed more than 475 hours of service in the hospital’s Emergency Room. She volunteers on Saturdays – one of the busiest days for the ER. In addition to her own volunteer shift, she is the “official” trainer for all other new ER volunteers. Her peers have shared that she is patient, thorough, and makes sure everyone feels comfortable and prepared before starting their own volunteer shift.
Chuck and Jan Vermillion, American Cancer Society volunteers
One of the free services that the American Cancer Society (ACS) provides is rides to/from doctor’s appointments and cancer treatments for patients who don’t have anyone who can give them a ride. When they first learned that the East County region has very few volunteer drivers, Jan and Chuck Vermillion became trained as volunteer drivers for the ACS Road to Recovery Program. They volunteer 5-10 hours a week and have been drivers for one year. They have also volunteered for the last 6 years in planning for the annual ACS “Relay for Life” event in Spring Valley.
Dee Davis, Center for Community Solutions volunteer
Dee Davis has served as a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) volunteer for Center for Community Solutions (CCS) since 2013. She provides in-person advocacy, emotional support, crisis intervention, information, and referral to community resources to survivors of sexual assault who are undergoing a sexual forensic examination. As a SART volunteer, she is on-call for 6-hour shifts in a 24-hour period, well above the minimum time requirement for SART volunteers.
Rick Doremus, Home of Guiding Hands volunteer
Rick has been an active volunteer with Home of Guiding Hands (HGH) for over 20 years. He has served many terms on the HGH Board of Directors, and was instrumental in establishing HGH’s Board of Governors and transitioning HGH services from a campus setting to community based services. Rick currently services as Secretary on the Board of Directors, several committees and volunteers at least 5 hours a week in service time to HGH. Overall, it is estimated that Rick has contributed well over 5,000 hours in volunteer time to support HGH in carrying out its mission.
Shawn Kelley, Trauma Intervention Programs of San Diego volunteer
Shawn is one of Trauma Intervention Programs’ (TIP) on-call volunteers on the East County team to assist community members in crisis. He has been a TIP volunteer since 2014 and has logged more than 1,500 hours serving 168 calls when clients are in a time of great need. TIP volunteers like Shawn provide on scene emotional and practical support following a traumatic event, such as an accident or death of a loved one. Both clients and first responders regularly acknowledge his efficiency, compassion, and ability to be a calm and caring presence.
Dr. Tryna Ramos, Volunteers in Medicine volunteer
Dr. Ramos has been a volunteer physician at local Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) free medical clinics for the last eight years. In her non-volunteer life, she is a medical doctor at Kaiser Permanente. As a volunteer, she serves as a primary care and gynecology provider, donating her time at two VIM clinics per month. Dr. Ramos is also bilingual in English and Spanish, giving her a valuable ability to put Spanish-speaking patients at ease. She also has an ability to make immigrant populations comfortable so she can provide equitable access to care.
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Source: Grossmount Health district
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