April 19th, 2022 – 4:00 PM
Atrium Health Floyd –
The third week of April marks National Volunteer Week, celebrated annually at Atrium Health Floyd through its longstanding Good Samaritan recognition program. These Good Samaritans perform a variety of functions that directly and indirectly help patients and visitors.
Hospitality specialists greet and escort patients and provide reading materials.
Retail specialists serve in gift shops.
Trained therapy dogs and handlers help patients relax and heal.
Musicians and artists perform for patients and lead them to explore their own artistic abilities.
Clerical helpers answer phones and assist with mailings.
Atrium Health Floyd currently has about 105 active volunteers. A total of 10 different languages are spoken by different volunteers, including Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic, French, German, Twi, Gujarati, and English.
Howard Bradley – Floyd Medical Center
Howard Bradley has been a dedicated Surgical Services volunteer for years. He is often at his position before 6 a.m. Over the years, Bradley has taken on the mentorship of several pre-med students. He also serves as an Advanced Directive educator alongside the chaplains at the hospital. “Overall, working with Howard was amazing, both because I was able to learn so much from him and because I was able to meet such an interesting and nice person,” wrote fellow volunteer Giulia Verzino.
Betty Goode – Heyman HospiceCare at Floyd
Betty Goode has been a volunteer at Heyman HospiceCare for nearly 20 years. She assists with many patient needs and also helps out in the office performing clerical duties. “She does what she can and does it from her heart, always with encouraging words, and she is always looking for the positive,” according to Patsy Wade, Bereavement Coordinator at Heyman HospiceCare, who nominated Goode.
Wanda Hilyer – Polk Medical Center
Wanda Hilyer is known for always having a smile on her face to greet customers at the Gift Shop at Polk Medical Center. Her fellow teammates say she is an inspirational leader and friend. “Her kindness and smile are contagious. She brings a light to Polk Medical Center with her presence, and we appreciate the giving of her time,” stated Tifani Kinard, Administrator at Polk Medical Center, and Jeanna Smith, Human Resources, who nominated Hilyer.
Dale Penn – Cherokee Medical Center
Dale Penn has worked many hours in the past year making sure the Cherokee County community is greeted by a friendly face. She has been a faithful volunteer guiding visitors to the vaccine area and helping them fill out the forms correctly as the hospital provided COVID-19 vaccinations. “I have never worked with an individual who focuses on detail as she does. Likewise, she is eager to help every employee and patient at Cherokee Medical Center,” wrote Christa McDaniel, a physician liaison at the hospital.
Carol Waddell, Gladys Mixon – Cancer Navigators
Carol Waddell and Gladys Mixon are both breast cancer survivors and have been friends for more than 50 years. They are annual medalists in the Golden Olympics and can be found helping out during any Cancer Navigators event. “Their assistance goes beyond answering the phones and greeting patients. They are compassionate, listen and relate to those affected by cancer,” said Sarah Husser, Funding and Community Outreach Coordinator for Cancer Navigators.