MUSC Volunteers: Priceless

It’s early on a Wednesday morning, and as I am heading out the door, I ask Kathy what’s on her agenda today – she flashes me a big smile and reminds me that today is her day to rock babies at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (and by the way, why don’t I know this considering she has been volunteering there almost every Wednesday for the last eight years?) I mumble something as I stumble through the door and laugh later as I think about it – rocking babies at SJCH is definitely her happy place. Her enthusiasm has never waned, and her positive energy is contagious. Later on, my mind wandered away from my personal favorite volunteer to the approximately 1,000 other big-hearted volunteers currently giving of their time, talent and compassion to MUSC and those we serve.

Sometimes these volunteers are involved in work that flies under the radar, so much so that many on our campuses don’t even realize that they are there. Others are more easily identifiable as they give of themselves when greeting nervous families at admissions desks, rocking babies in the NNICU, providing a human touch at the end of life for patients with no family present, playing music, providing pet therapy or while learning more about a potential career path. No matter their station, role or effort, these individuals give freely of themselves to some larger undertaking that moves forward our mission of education, research and patient care. The key word in that last sentence is “freely.” And while they don’t receive or expect financial reward or some other overt recognition, most will tell you that they end up receiving so much more than they give.

“No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you.” – Author unknown

I won’t run through the laundry list of studies and first-person evidence that supports volunteering as an important community service. I hope it will suffice to say that in the U.S., volunteerism takes many shapes and forms with a common result – tangible and intangible benefits to others and to oneself.

“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” – Winston Churchill

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi

Interestingly, one of the key benefits is related to stress and anxiety reduction – for the volunteer. Notably, a key component to a successful volunteering experience is passion. Without “freely” giving of this passion, I would argue that you’re being volun-told what you “should” do to help others. In my opinion, volunteering is about finding your passion and combining it with an opportunity where you can have the greatest positive impact.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Every person can make a difference, and every person should try.” – John F. Kennedy

In FY 2021 alone, MUSC volunteers provided more than 38,000 hours of service in 22 locations and, remarkably, many of them stood with us during the pandemic, finding ways to stay connected and pivot as needed to help us as we navigated the unprecedented. They do everything mentioned above, and in the past several years, the volunteer program expanded further to include an emerging best practice in the health care industry – including the patient and community voice into the design and delivery of care.

Our first test case of this innovative volunteer and process improvement model was used during the design and construction of the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. I’m pleased to tell you that this model not only continues today, it has grown exponentially to have even greater impact across the health system, with more than 10 patient-family advisory councils serving both pediatric and adult populations. You see, the idea behind this model is to engage volunteer patients and families to offer their unique perspectives at the same tables with care team members to promote a patient- and family-centered culture in all aspects of care delivery and in health care education.

Some additional examples of this relatively new model include creating discharge packets that provide opportunities for mental health education and support for better continuity of care, fine-tuning patient education for better compliance with care plans and inviting our Patient and Family Advisory Council advisers to guest lecture in all six of our colleges to enhance our students’ understanding of the importance of putting patients and families at the center of all that we do. Our PFACs are making a difference for our patients and inspiring our students and educators.

“There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say, ‘What happened?’” – Casey Stengel

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw

So, by recognizing and reflecting on the enormous value that our MUSC volunteers add to our day-to-day mission, I hope that in the days ahead, you’ll take the initiative to thank volunteers who may be working in your area for all that they do to enable our mission, and perhaps in the future, you’ll consider how you might give back to those organizations and causes that align with your passion and service to others as well.

And finally, an enormous thank you to all of our volunteers (including my wife – maybe this piece will get me out of the “forgot what you are doing today, dear” doghouse) who have chosen to be a part of the MUSC family and make a difference in so many lives on a daily basis.