This week for UUFH’ers in Action, we highlight Lee Nichols, Bill Elder and Peggy Law who volunteer each week at Pardee Hospital.
You can find Bill in the day surgery center helping families to visit their patient in the recovery phase of their outpatient surgery. He also stays busy transporting discharged patients to their vehicle for the ride home. Bill can be counted on by hospital visitors lost in the meandering hallways to guide them to their desired location within the hospital. Bill says the typical number of day surgery patients on his four hour shift on Friday’s varies from 40-70 patients. Bill logs almost 5 miles of walking on a typical shift.
Lee works at the main entrance on N. Justice St. This is check in for lab work, radiology, wound care, pain management, sleep center and patient rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. He works with the valet parkers helping people in and out of cars with or without transport chairs as needed. He also guides non-patients to meet staff, attend meetings or to training classes or to obtain their medical records. Lee considers the job the face of Pardee so everyone is greeted with a smile and “Good morning”! Lee has volunteered in excess of 1300 hours at Pardee.
Peggy began her volunteer activity in the Cancer Center prior to Covid. Volunteers were not allowed in the Cancer Center for close to two years and were finally welcomed back in September of 2022. The Infusion Center has 16 patient rooms and are almost always occupied by cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. During Peggy’s weekly three hour shift, she helps make the patients comfortable offering warm blankets, snacks and beverages and conversation. By volunteers handling these tasks, the amazing nurses are able to focus on their most important mission – taking care of patients!
If you are interested in volunteering at Pardee Hospital, please contact Karla Reese at Karla.Reese@nullunchealth.unc.edu. There are many volunteer options available and more volunteers are greatly appreciated.
UUers in Action
As a community of compassionate, caring people, we are everywhere in Henderson County volunteering our time and talents to many worthy non-profit organizations. We want to highlight our members and friends who regularly give back locally. Please contact Peggy Law at pegster1128@nullgmail.com so that we can share your good works with everyone and help solicit additional volunteers.