WOOSTER - Herb Hershberger gently rolls an older gentleman down the main hallway at Wooster Community Hospital and out the main entrance. The escort service is one of many jobs the hospital volunteer does every day to serve his community.
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Hershberger, 74, joined the volunteer corps at the hospital about eight years ago after retiring from Akron Children's Hospital where he was in administrative management for 35 years. His goal was to stay active and continue serving in the health-care field.
"My personal feeling is that my career, from day one, has always been in the service field, the health-care field, so my personal opinion is that I was put on Earth to be of service to people rather than be profit-motivated," Hershberger said.
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Wooster Community Hospital has 75 to 100 active volunteers
The hospital currently has 75 to 100 active volunteers. Due to pandemic protocols, some volunteers are not available or their responsibilities aren't active. The hospital furloughed its volunteers for about a month when the state issued its stay-at-home order last March.
Hershberger was the first volunteer invited back in May.
"I did not have any qualms coming back," he said. "I think the hospital does an excellent job of trying to protect you and keep you safe. I haven’t had any type of insecurities."
The volunteers' primary responsibility is to escort people in wheelchairs who are being discharged from the hospital or need an extra lift getting to their appointments with doctors in the building. They also give out information and directions at the main desk, pass long flowers to patients and do blood runs.
"We greatly appreciate all the many tasks and projects our auxiliary and volunteers undertake on behalf of the hospital," said Bill Sheron, CEO and president of Wooster Community Hospital, in an email. "From decorating for Christmas, purchasing vans for our free transportation service, delivering the mail, running our Subway and many other duties, we simply could not function without them."
Sheron also applauded the auxiliary and volunteer members for their financial support which has been a key part in every building project the hospital has undertaken over more than 70 years.
Many hospital departments use volunteers
About 85% of hospital departments utilize volunteers, according to Carla Redick, coordinator of volunteer services at Wooster Community Hospital. Many of them joined the volunteer corps to fulfill personal goals.
Hershberger said his job "drastically changed" when he returned during the pandemic. The volunteers are now responsible for COVID-19 symptom screenings, a job that requires them to police mask-wearing, hand sanitizing and enforcing the one visitor per patient rule.
"You try to be as positive as possible and try to make them feel welcome and not intimidate them when we screen them and try to get them to the right place to feel comfortable with knowing where they’re going. It’s really been different," he said.
Fortunately, patients and visitors have become more compliant over the last six months as the protocols have become part of the norm of coming to the hospital. Hershberger said it was much more challenging the first few months, especially the screening process.
Pandemic or not, Hershberger understands that many patients who enter the hospital are alone or lonely and he hopes to be the one bright spot in their day when he greets them at the door.
"I enjoy talking with those individuals ... I’m hopefully a positive influence for them that day when they come in because there are some really lonely people out there," he said.
Volunteers two days a week
Hershberger volunteers two days a week and usually works with the same couple of people with students volunteers coming and going. He has made good friends, socializing with other couples outside the hospital. It's one of things he likes best, being around people and getting to know people.
On top of his regular responsibilities, Redick has called upon Hershberger outside of his regular two days a week to volunteer at the hospital's recent COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Everyone who comes through the door is more than excited to be chosen to receive their dose.
"We’ve done an excellent job with the vaccines as patients come through," Hershberger said of the hospital's clinic. "They get in and get out. We've had a lot of positive compliments. That’s what I’ve heard at the clinics, that the hospital has done this better than a lot of the other places."
Redick added, "We have many volunteers talking to them and making them feel very buoyant and keeping them reassured of what could happen, being honest with them."
Hershberger received his vaccine with other hospital staff during Phase 1A and was ready to get the shot as soon as it was available. He reported only have arm soreness after the first shot and "virtually nothing" after the second shot.
"I was ready to go. I personally think it’s the thing to do," he said.
THE VOLUNTEER'S VITAL STATS
Name: Herb Hershberger
Age: 74
Residence: Wooster
Years volunteering: Eight
Why volunteer? "I wanted to keep active. But I also want to serve the community and serve the public. Since I’ve been in health care all my life, I came to the hospital to see if I could help out here."
The Link LonkMarch 29, 2021 at 11:38AM
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Wooster Community Hospital volunteer remains committed to serving others - Wooster Daily Record
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Herb
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