Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center - (Page 8)

AUXILIARY By Lindsey Dunstedter Helping in Healthcare volunTEEN program teaches teens about medical fields call E ach summer, PCRMC Auxiliary and Volunteer Services help teenagers gain school credit, prepare for college and receive excellent hands-on experience. By participating in the volunTEEN program, teens learn about the medical field while also giving back to the community during their summer vacations. “Our teens are well-educated, strong, motivated people,” says Tina Pridgeon, director of Auxiliary and Volunteer Services. “We provide a service where they can get a glimpse of a hospital setting, and some go on to consider a medical career path. These are our kids and our future. They are the ones that are going to be taking care of us so, in a way, we are preparing them.” VolunTEENs regularly volunteer in the hospital entrances and lobbies to escort and greet patients. They push hospitality carts and also To learn more about PCRMC Auxiliary and Volunteer Services, call Tina Pridgeon at 573-458-7939. Your Time Can Make a Difference In addition to hospital-specific tasks, volunTEENs also contribute to community events through activities such as staffing “Take a Stand Against Child Abuse” lemonade stands. help in nursing dispatch, organizational development, surgical orthopedics, occupational health and the Sleep Center. “The teens are able to go to all of these different departments and watch presentations from the staff. They are able to ask specific questions about which educational needs have to be met to be a part of a certain field,” Pridgeon says. “We try our best to make sure they are able to spend some of their volunteer time in departments where they really have an interest.” In return for their service, the volunTEENs are able to use the hours logged at PCRMC for the A+ Program, scholarships, college admissions and even Girl Scout badges. Many of the volunTEENs are now considering a career in the medical field after being exposed to so many different departments at the hospital. CJ Allison, 16, is a second-year volunTEEN who intends to pursue a career in healthcare. “My dad is an EMT here and a volunteer firefighter, so the hospital is like a second home to me,” Allison says. “I started thinking about my career in fifth grade, so I was really happy to be able to be a volunTEEN. When I graduate, I want to work part time as an EMT and part time in the OB, because I want to be involved in the delivery and care of the babies.” This year, 24 volunTEENs 14–19 from Rolla, St. Robert, Saint James and Newburg participated in the program, which reaches the entire PCRMC service area. 8 Vim & Vigor • WI N TER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center
Table of Contents
Foundation
Better Cancer Answers
Auxiliary
Your Best Foot Forward
Smart Moves
Miss Information
Stroke Sense
Gut Feelings
The Story on Stress
The Faces of Skin Cancer
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A Natural Dilemma
17 Reasons to Work in Healthcare
Healthy Resolutions
Sole Supporters

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center