SAINT FRANCIS AUXILIARY
FOUNDED BY NATALIE OVERALL WARREN
VOLUME XLIX • SUMMER EDITION 2023
In July, Saint Francis hosted 21 students from area high schools who have an interest in working in the medical field someday. During the inaugural Medical Academy for Students in Healthcare, a two-week immersive experience for the
students learned about pediatrics, cardiology, orthopedics, trauma care and a variety of other specialties. Some students had their career plans solidified during their two weeks at Saint Francis, while others decided upon other careers in healthcare.
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“We are thrilled to give students a glimpse into the daily lives of employees at Saint Francis and see all the options that are available to them” —Melissa Bates, Student Volunteer Coordinator Birth, Pediatrics & Histology
Orthopedics
The students attended a birthing session with Noelle, a birthing simulator, and were able to interact with nurses and residents. Child life specialists instructed the students in placing IV’s and also talked to them about the importance of having Child Life Specialists in a hospital. Histology was another highlight of the day where they were able to have hands on experiences with various specimens and make slides.
Today was spent with 2 orthopedic PA’s. They took the students through an orthopedic OR and talked to them about different orthopedic scenarios they encounter daily. We also were able to spend time with a casting technician who demonstrated different types of casting by casting the students. An orthopedic vendor brought in sawbones, saws and screws and the students were able to practice their orthopedic surgical skills by cutting bones and placing screws in bones!
Cardiology This day was all things heart related! The students visited the cath lab. While some students were able to watch a cath procedure being performed, others were able to visit the control room. Each student had the opportunity to dissect a pig’s heart with the help of a cardiology physician assistant and also visit Non-Invasive Cardiology and experience some of the procedures they administer on a daily basis.
Professional Nursing This day was spent experiencing hands on nursing skills such as CPR, lifting and moving patients, IV’s and vital signs!
Health Zone and Laureate On this day, the students learned and experienced so many things. At the Health Zone, they learned about fitness and nutrition and were able to talk to a nutritionist who provided them with great information and healthy snacks. They also were able to take part in an exercise class. At Laureate, they were able to participate in a group activity and learned about stress coping skills.
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Surgical Services During Surgical Services Day, the students were able to spend time in an actual OR. They learned the proper way to scrub in for a surgery, the roles of the staff members who assist in surgery and had the opportunity to perform a surgery on a surgical dummy. They also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Fehr, who spent time with the students. He shared his journey in becoming a surgeon and helped them explore with the robotic surgical device.
MCI The Glenpool Campus Emergency Department held a MCI (mass casualty incident) Drill and the students were the victims. They were all moulaged with various injuries from a cut finger to a fatality. The students could win an Academy Award with their acting skills! Having actual victims make it more real for the staff to complete their drill. The Glenpool Fire Department, Mercy EMS and Life Flight also attended and were happy to visit with the students and allow them to see their trucks and helicopter!
Teresa Powell
Director of Volunteer Services
From the Director’s Desk of Volunteer Services Since the last Stethoscope last summer, the Volunteer Services teams have been very busy. We have recruited and onboarded more than 140 new volunteers system wide; seven new Pink Paws pet therapy teams; 78 students, 21 of whom were in our first school year Explorer Program. Not only were we onboarding and running these programs, but also we have had a great year of events. We hosted a nice luncheon and recruited volunteers at Montereau. We also hosted our first ever Veteran’s Day luncheon for veterans and their spouses. We also collected two carloads of coats and blankets that were donated to the Tulsa Outreach Program. Our volunteers never get tired of giving! We even rounded up two cabinets of books to be distributed on the care carts. We baked more than 300 cookies for our staff to thank them for their hard work. We coordinated and hosted our annual Volunteer Christmas luncheon and shortly after sang Christmas carols twice at the children’s hospital.
We were honored to be appreciated with a luncheon in our honor during National Volunteer Week in April. Since April, we have been blessed with a full student volunteer program, and we have completed the first MASH with 21 brilliant high school students. Looking back on the last year, I am so very proud of the things our department has been able to accomplish. Each and every one of you had helped so much. We have had 495 volunteers serve with us, donating a total of 55,296 hours to our mission. The Yale campus had 282 volunteers, Xavier Medical Clinic15 volunteers not including providers, children’s hospital 93, Laureate three, Glenpool one, Muskogee 38, Vinita nine and South 54 volunteers. I feel like cheering loudly for everyone to hear when I read those numbers. They reflect the love and dedication that you all share with us each and every week. Thank you for all that you do! Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”
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Kyle Terry
Director of Hospice
From the Director’s Desk of Hospice All of us have faced many challenges in 2022 and the past few years because of COVID. Even though we have faced these trials, our volunteers have supported the staff and other volunteers with such respect that it made the hard days easier. The Saint Francis ministry has been blessed to have volunteers work tirelessly to help keep our mission strong and resilient. As we have treatments and a better understanding of COVID, we now face other challenges with the economy, and in some cases, not having loved ones around for family events. Knowing we made a difference with everyone we touch, we need to continue to look at ways to lift each other up. I want you all to know that you lift up our staff, families and patients every day through your volunteerism. Without you, our staff and families would have a piece of care missing. I would like to end on a prayer we have at Saint Francis: “Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for the many blessing you have given us. We ask you to grant to the volunteers of the Saint Francis Health System that living hope which anchors us to heaven, giving us strength and resilience to persevere through trials (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-7) as we strive to extend your presence and
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healing ministry in all we do. You are the true light that ‘shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ (John 1:5) Help us, your servants, to be beacons of light and hope to all whom we encounter. We ask this in Jesus’ name.”
Angela Baldwin
Volunteer Coordinator Saint Francis Hospice
Hospice Happenings Hello, volunteers! I have officially been in this position for three years now. I love it here, and that is thanks to all the wonderful staff, volunteers and patients. We have officially returned to full volunteer services here at hospice following the end of the COVID waiver by CMS and the Public Health Emergency. We are once again visiting patients in homes and facilities and helping them with a variety of tasks. We strive to help our patients and their families in any way possible. I thank you for hanging in there throughout the pandemic and being ready when we returned to full service. As for me personally, since our last newsletter I gained a new granddaughter, Alice June Mackenzie. My oldest son and his daughters have moved in with me, and I get to see them every day, which is such a blessing. My youngest son bought a house, and I probably nag him way too much about working on it. He and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas together in September.
As you know, I like to travel. I was in beautiful Wimberly, Texas, for a wedding in April, and I suggest everyone spend a couple of days there. My next trip is a weekend in Eureka Springs. I would love to hear about your favorite destinations, and pictures are always welcome. Most of you already know that my dad passed away New Year’s Day and was a beneficiary of our hospice services. I am eternally grateful to the volunteers who visited him at the hospital (Fred and Wanda) and the wonderful staff here and at Clarehouse who cared for him. Kyle was a guiding light in that journey. Our volunteers continue to amaze me, and I am blessed and thankful for all of you. Seeing hospice from a patient and family point of view showed me just how valuable our work here is. Once again, thank you for all that you do.
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Melissa Bates
Student Volunteer Coordinator
SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL
Students in the Spotlight Anne Frank tells us, “No one has ever become poor from giving.” To me, that means our South volunteers are wealthy! Over the last few months, I have been amazed at all they have done. Here are some examples of what they have been up to: • Providing stellar service to our patients, staff and visitors • Stepping up to help with last-minute projects • Collecting coats and blankets for those in need • Donating books for our comfort care cart I am so thankful to have been a part of the Saint Francis Hospital South volunteers. They give with a cheerful heart and make me proud each and every day. Last August, the South Auxiliary approved the purchase of a new golf cart for the South Campus. On Sep. 19, we put the courtesy shuttle into action, being a blessing for our patients and visitors. It will be even more important during the construction at our facility. We are averaging 60 transports per day. I want to send a huge shoutout to those South volunteers who make this happen every week by driving the shuttle in all kinds of weather. On Nov. 1, we held our South Auxiliary annual meeting. During this meeting, the auxiliary voted to approve changes to the bylaws. Going forward, the South Campus Auxiliary will operate as an advisory council instead of the board of officers that we have had in the past.
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I would like to thank all of those who have served as an officer. Your leadership helped shape the volunteer program into what it is today—a solid program that continuously offers support and funds to Saint Francis Hospital South. I would also like to welcome Felicia Dinsmore, Jan Brown and Susan Hale as the first Saint Francis Hospital South advisory council members. Thank you, ladies, for your willingness to serve. As you’ll read about in this issue, the Volunteer Services department recognized five volunteers with Value Awards. I was so honored to present two of these awards to South volunteers Don Letzkus and Susan Hale. In my book, every volunteer deserves an award, but I’d like to give a special congratulations to Don and Susan. We just completed our first MASH (Medical Academy for Students in Healthcare) program. It was an amazing two weeks that far exceeded my expectations. I am so proud of all 21 students and all that they were able to learn and participate in. We are already making plans for MASH 2024. As I say goodbye to the South Campus and transition over to Student Volunteer Coordinator, I am excited for what is ahead of me. I will miss everyone at South, but I am confident that the new volunteer coordinator, Linda Gregory, will do an amazing job. Welcome, Linda! I know you will continue to build an amazing team of volunteers at the South Campus!
Linda Gregory
Volunteer Coordinator Saint Francis Hospital South
SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL
The South Statement I truly believe I have found my calling at Saint Francis Hospital South! As you know, Melissa Bates has moved to the Yale Campus to oversee student programs, and I am honored to be the new volunteer coordinator at South. Here is a little bit about me. My husband and I moved here from California in 2022. Prior to coming to Oklahoma, I had been in ministry for more than seven years. My role involved community outreach, including coordinating volunteers for refugee care, distributing groceries to the community, hosting job fairs and supporting vulnerable children. When we came to Oklahoma, I knew I wanted to find a position where I could continue to serve the community.
I love seeing people live out their purpose because a lot times the things we do in life aren’t very purposeful. But when we help other people and fill unmet needs, I have found that life becomes very purposeful. For anyone considering volunteering, I would say that we can utilize whatever gifts or skills you have. I encourage you to serve others, and I want you to experience the blessing of serving others. Every volunteer I have met has told me they receive more blessings than they give. Giving a little smile and encouragement is a wonderful goal for the volunteers, and for me, too.
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Rachel Vogle
Volunteer Coordinator Saint Francis Hospital Vinita
SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL
Vinita Vibes
I have been the volunteer coordinator for Saint Francis Hospital Vinita since September, and I already feel like I have a new family. My résumé reads as an accountant, but my heart has always been volunteer work. In my past, I have been on the boards for Resonance Center for Women, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the T.D. Williamson philanthropy board. My mission and goals are to bring volunteers back to our Vinita facility, to aid our staff and patients and to support Saint Francis Health System in any way I can. It has been a whirlwind since I started. In October volunteer buyer Rhonda Smith and I had the wonderful experience of traveling to Dallas to the 2022 Market. Wow, there are such wonders there! We were able to bring back beautiful items to fill the homes of our staff and patrons. In September, the Volunteer Auxiliary voted to approve the changes to our bylaws to move toward an advisory council rather than a board of officers. Our
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auxiliary was able to purchase five wheelchairs for our hospital. We currently are looking for ways to recruit new volunteers, and I welcome any ideas you have! In closing, to all of our volunteers, I want you to know the compassion you are showing the people we serve is a great inspiration for us all. We have noticed how you treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter what the situation is. We all understand how stressful life is for people who find themselves in need of the services we offer, and your words and actions go a long way toward helping them keep their dignity. I want you to know your effort to make their hard days a little easier has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for welcoming me into the Saint Francis Health System and Volunteer Auxiliary.
Andrea Wilcoxen
Volunteer Coordinator Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee
SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL
Muskogee Minute Here in Muskogee, we are buckling down and getting ready to ride through some big changes as our construction is beginning for our new patient tower. It is exciting and sure to be a beautiful facility to meet the needs of our friends in Muskogee and surrounding communities. It will greatly impact our Volunteer Services department, as our area will be demolished. Our gift shop, volunteer lounge, offices, front information desk, lobby and admissions moved in January and February. In addition to the process of moving, our temporary shop will be smaller, so we have reconfigured accordingly. The construction does not diminish the wonderful work our volunteers continue to do. There will be a need for them in the front lobby and admissions area to assist patients within the facility, such as the lab, radiology and women’s services, since these areas will be difficult to find during construction.
We have been blessed recently with several new volunteers and have found their willingness to serve in this way to be very exciting. Since our last Stethoscope publication, we have welcomed Sandra, Denise, Chloe, Jaycee, Peyton, Joe, Jane, Sandy, Marybeth, Kathye, Frankie and Tammy to our team. They serve in five areas, so their presence is certainly being felt and appreciated. As I write this, I am reminded of a wonderful quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
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John Klos
Gift Shop Manager
The Gift Shop Gab We are getting ready for fall, and our stores have celebrated Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with great merchandice. We had a wonderful surprise for all our families and staff members when the Christmas lights went on in all gift shops. All shops were decorated by our gift shop volunteers and buyers. At Saint Francis Hospital (Yale campus), our buyers made wonderful baskets, and we gave tickets to our customers for a drawing, and we gave double-double chocolate chip cookies for the open house. It was quite a merry time! The Saint Francis Hospital South and Vinita gift shops hosted their open houses. Their shops were beautifully decorated, and they had wonderful Christmas merchandise, from ornaments to holiday clothing. The gift shop sponsored a discount bedding fair in the Warren Clinic Tower in October and at the hospital in December, bringing some great deals to our employees and raising some money for our great programs. Do we have any Brighton fans? Well our shop is only one of only two stores in Tulsa that sell Brighton jewelry. We have a new jewelry case that houses all kinds of wonderful Brighton jewelry and accessories. I hope you’ll come take a look.
The gift shop website has many new features, and families are able to make purchases to be delivered to patient rooms. I hope you’ll check it out. We are very excited to have added gift cards to our inventory. The Yale campus has been participating in the Project Search internship program, which gives young adults with disabilities an opportunity to explore careers and develop job skills. The gift shop has one intern per quarter to provide experience. I’m so happy that one of our interns was hired by the supply and distribution department. We had another internship program with the Tulsa Honor Academy, and the students work in our gift shop. I want to thank all the volunteers and buyers who have made our gift shops very successful, and they will continue providing good service to our employees and customers. Please come by our gift shops because we have the best prices in town, and volunteers can receive a 10% discount on your purchases. Remember to take your volunteer badge to the gift shop to identify yourself as a volunteer to receive the discount. All funds from the gift shops go to the hospital for various departmental projects.
We are looking for more volunteers to join all of our gift shops. If you know someone who would be a great fit, please have The Saint Francis Health System has implemented a new system them contact our Volunteer Services department at 918-494called Workday to manage many business processes for every 1150 or 918-494-1170. Our best volunteers often are referred by department. Training was completed, and I have the system our current volunteers, and I hope you’ll spread the word. installed on my phone where I can receive notifications on a timely basis.
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Saint Francis Health System Yearly Award Recipients 5 YEARS
29 YEARS
Bellona Furr
Linda Johnston
Dora Cordray-Green
Paula Lindemann
Harley Cummings
Jean Dresher
Mae Sharp
Curt Andrews
Margie Bush
Carol Graham
Rhonda Freiner
Mark Hartley
Jane Brumley
Sharon Floyd
LaJean Smith
Seher Hassany Mary Porter Charon Blood Diane Shupert Kathy White Sheila Dryden Christine Ernest Doug Ernest Susie Gallegos Linda Gallman Arthur McIlroy Gale Smith Mary West Ursula Andress
20 YEARS
Joan Pierret
46 YEARS
10 YEARS
Ty Harmer
Larry Haynes
David Siebert
Beverly Hammock
Judy Klos
Rosemary Holt Lori Hill Michael O’Brien Pat Lubas Liz Stoven Marsha Cowan
15 YEARS
Judy Martfeld Lisa Clemons
44 YEARS
25 YEARS
Donna Jackson Linda Swanda
26 YEARS
Anne Siegmeier
50 YEARS Pat Ford
56 YEARS
Sabina Beckman
Julia Meier
27 YEARS
Esther Wilson Ailsa Vojvoda
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VOLUNTEER EVENTS
Working for others We are so appreciative of our gift shop volunteers. The gift shops at the various campuses, including Yale, South, Vinita, Muskogee and The Children’s Hospital, are all staffed by volunteers who make it their mission to bring joy and beauty to the families of patients and to the staff who shop there each
SFH South’s New Ride We are very excited to have a wonderful new golf cart now in service at Saint Francis Hospital South to shuttle patients and visitors to and from the parking areas. This will be increasingly helpful during the construction that recently kicked off. Here, volunteer George Marchetti shows off the new golf cart. This is our second golf cart, with the other in service at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, taking visitors to and from the lot. Muskogee also has started a large construction project, which will make the shuttle service even more valuable.
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day. We hope you’ll consider supporting our gift shops for all your gift-giving needs. At the Yale campus, you’ll also find one of the few outlets in Tulsa for Brighton jewelry, as well as plenty of snacks, pajamas, gifts for nurses and clothing.
Pink Paws Visits Patients aren’t the only ones who benefit from having a furry friend at the hospital! During Nurses Week in May, our Pink Paws volunteer dogs and their handlers had so much fun bringing joy to the hospital staff. We are always looking
to recruit more Pink Paws volunteer teams. Call Volunteer Services at 918-494-1170 for more information about the requirements for dogs and their handlers.
Caroling for Patients Our volunteers loved celebrating the holidays together. One of the activities was caroling at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis. Here, we were joined by some staff members and
Sister Marie Josepha during the Christmas party, which brought smiles to the faces of hospitalized children and their families, many of whom had to spend the holidays in the hospital.
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HOSPICE HAPPENINGS
Sweet Freedom Event We celebrated our veterans during an event in the Warren Clinic Tower. Veteran Fred Boyd and student volunteer Diya helped to hand out donuts and coffee to any veterans who came by. We hope all of you know how much we appreciate your service to our country and how you’re continuing to serve by volunteering in hospice.
Recruitment Events We are always on the hunt for more volunteers!
United Way Golf Tournament
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Veterans Day Luncheon We celebrated Veterans Day with a luncheon for veterans, spouses, parents and children. It was a beautiful event where everyone shared stories of military life and events. There were laughter and many tears of remembrance.
Saintly Stuffers Our Saintly Stuffers for 2023 include: Beth Ford, Pam Beyer, Carol Graham, Doris Gregory, John Gregory, Debbie Danaher, Allison Burkholder, Linda Johnston and Linda Files and Esther Wilson.
Butterfly Release in Tulsa and Muskogee Volunteers assisted the Saint Francis Hospice bereavement program by helping with the three butterfly releases held in 2022 and May and September 2023. Saint Francis Hospice hosted a beautiful memorial event at the Tulsa Zoo for those who experienced the loss of a loved one. Attendees enjoyed a meaningful memorial program and butterfly release.
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Christmas Luncheon We were honored to share the holiday together at the Tulsa Southern Hills Marriot with keynote speaker Dr. Cliff Robertson, our health system CEO. With over 260 in attendance, we enjoyed live music and wonderland decor.
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Pictured above (L to R) are Chief Human Resource Officer Jamie Payne; Steve Robbins, hospice volunteer; Bea Edwards, Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee volunteer; Don Letzkus, Saint Francis Hospital South volunteer; Cathy Zaloudek, Saint Francis Hospital Yale campus volunteer; Susan Hale, Saint Francis Hosptial South volunteer; Teresa Powell, director of volunteer services; and Dr. Cliff Robertson, Saint Francis Health System CEO.
Volunteers recognized for displaying values at Saint Francis It does take a special person to be so generous and kind to be a volunteer. We truly hope you all know how much we appreciate you and your time that you so graciously give to our patients, visitors and staff. As we look back on 2022, the year when we welcomed our volunteers back, we also are celebrating 2023 accomplishments. We know that God is guiding us and will continue to bless us with the ability to serve this wonderful healthcare system. Saint Francis is a special place because of the kindness and love that you give to us every time you come to serve. This year the volunteers throughout our healthcare system, including in Muskogee, Vinita, South campus, hospice, Glenpool, Laureate, Health Zone, Xavier Clinic, Warren Clinic
locations and the Yale campus, have been so beneficial in the healing of our staff and our communities. We are blessed to donate our time but now we are honored with donating our funds to our Saint Francis Health System. For 2022, the Yale Auxiliary donated over $220,000 in funds and merchandise; South Auxiliary has donated over $20,000 in funds; Vinita Auxiliary has donated over $5,000 in funds; and the Muskogee Auxiliary has donated close to $30,000 in funds and merchandise. Those numbers are impressive. But the over 44,000 service hours that have been donated to us in the last 10 months of 2022 is what is really impressive. Every time you step foot onto one of our campuses your time is considered priceless! Thank you for all that you do. We are Saint Francis Strong.
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Value Awards Winners For the first time in Volunteer Auxiliary history, volunteers were awarded to recognize the Saint Francis Health System Values: Excellence, Dignity, Justice, Integrity and Stewardship. We are honored to announce the 2022 Volunteer Value Award Winners.
EXCELLENCE
Cindy Zaloudek Cindy Zaloudek continually goes above the shop. She ensures that the plush inventory call of duty. She works full time at Creason and is accurate, and she makes notes to update Associates as an office manager. the inventory. She visits the office once or twice a week during her lunchtime to discuss Becoming a volunteer in 2015, she has 3,679 inventory for both shops. hours of service and started as a plush buyer under the tutelage of Ruby Waugh. When She asked if she could work in the children’s we created children’s gift shop as a separate gift shop every other Saturday. She continued entity, she accepted the position as plush with her excellent work ethic by setting up buyer at the new location. the seasonal displays at the children’s gift shop. Lastly, she took upon herself the duty When Ruby retired, Cindy asked if she would of cleaning the backroom of the Yale Campus consider being the plush buyer for both the and children’s gift shops. Yale Campus gift shop and the new children’s gift shop. She accepted the position. Her We’re so thankful to Cindy for the excellence additional duties are to transfer plush and she displays as a dedicated volunteer. other merchandise to the children’s gift
DIGNITY
Susan Hale Dignity is defined as respecting each person as an inherently valuable member of the human community and as a unique expression of life. Susan Hale serves with compassion, grace and a smile easing the fears of our patients and their families. She cares about people and what they are going through, and she truly believes she is called to serve with love. She not only values and serves our patients and visitors, but she does the same for her
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fellow volunteers. She is one of the first ones to reach out to other volunteers if they are in need and truly cares for them. She understands what it means to value people. As a retired nurse who also cared for Mrs. Warren during her last days, she fully understands what our patients need when they walk through our doors. We are so glad to have Susan as one of our dedicated volunteers who displays dignity in everything she does.
Don Letzkus
JUSTICE
Justice means advocating for systems and structures attuned to the needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged while promoting a sense of community among all persons. Don Letzkus is always ready to serve and does so without hesitation at Saint Francis Hospital South. He believes everyone, especially the vulnerable, should be given the opportunity to make the exact moment they’re in better. He’s earned the trust of his fellow volunteers
and the staff he serves beside. He goes above and beyond with the patients and staff, and it does not go unnoticed. When he sees a need, he immediately begins working on a way to meet that need, and this is especially true for disadvantaged patients and families. He sees the value of everyone he comes in contact with, then serves them with compassion and support. Don epitomizes the value of justice in his service each day.
Bea Edwards
INTEGRITY
Integrity means to encourage honesty, consistency and predictability in all relationships. We are so thankful to have Bea Edwards, who displays integrity to her core. She has volunteered for close to 16 years and has given more than 6,500 hours of service. Bea has consistently been the one who does exactly what she says she will do. She follows moral and ethical principles in all aspects of her life, including her volunteer service as she serves our patients and visitors. We can always trust
STEWARDSHIP
that she is diligent in her duties and loyal to the service of others. She is authentic, honest, humble, never takes advantage and always is kind to those who need it. She has put her role as a volunteer second only to her helping her adult children and siblings, whom she cares for in addition to her other obligations with church, Eastern Star, Veterans Affairs and other civic groups. For the value of integrity, we honor and recognize Bea Edwards, as a faithful volunteer at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee.
Steve Robbins
Steve has been a volunteer with Saint Francis Hospice for more than nine years and was instrumental in helping Angela Baldwin acclimate to her role of hospice volunteer coordinator almost three years ago. Steve never stops volunteering. He is a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also assists Afghan refugees. And when he’s not volunteering, he loves playing pickleball. But when he is asked to help hospice patients, he is never too busy. Steve runs bingo games for Saint Francis Hospice weekly at a skilled nursing facility. His specialty is delivering birthday balloons and cards to hospice patients all over Tulsa and surrounding areas,
ensuring that they feel cared for on what could be their last birthday. He has never turned down staff when a patient needed help. He is working to launch a new program with volunteers helping hospice patients who are going into respite care. Steve is kind, energetic and has a huge heart of giving to hospice in any way possible. Stewardship means managing something entrusted to one’s care, and this could not be truer than for Steve. He truly cares for our hospice patients and stewards our programs as though they were his own.
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Celebrating another year of our Volunt
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nteers! A highlight of the volunteer recognition luncheon was hearing from three staff members about how thankful they are to be supported by volunteers in their departments. Sydney Staten, coordinator of the Joint Replacement and Spine Center, is pictured on the lower left. Sydney said her department is one of the busiest both for surgeries and for volunteers. “Our volunteers take care of serving group lunches. We feel it’s better for our patients to eat as a group so that everyone can get the same education at once,” she said. Volunteers also help get patients to the gym. They prepare trivia questions about recovery after hip and knee replacement. Some patients don’t have family members to help them, and our volunteers are always happy be that support person they need.
“I can truly say that our department and our patients have a better healing process and a better hospital experience because of the volunteers they encounter in the Joint Replacement Center,” Sydney said. Dr. Rose Sloat, medical director of Xavier Clinic, shared that volunteers helped the free clinic provide more than 4,000 office visits to uninsured patients in the last year. “Thank you for being volunteers and for allowing Xavier Clinic to exist to serve the patients who need us most,” Dr. Sloat said. The third speaker was Kristi Baker, vice president of Women’s and Children’s Services. “Whether it is assisting at the admission desk, walking children to surgery, cuddling a preemie or opening the gift shop, no one can imagine our work world without our volunteers,” Kristi said.
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Pat Ford, 50-year Hospital Volunteer We are so thankful to Pat Ford for her 50 years of volunteer service, which she celebrated in March. Over the years, she has served in many areas at Saint Francis, including delivering refreshments on the cheer cart, cuddling newborns and guiding pre-anesthesia patients through their testing. Now, she is the smiling face that helps our same-day surgery patients get ready
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in the admissions and discharge area. Often they are nervous, and Pat tries to be the comfort they need. Saint Francis has volunteer openings in several departments, including the gift shop, joint replacement center, the children’s hospital and Xavier Clinic. Please spread the word to all your friends about volunteering!
Wishing you a very happy birthday! Volunteer Wanda Harper is making beautiful birthday cards for our Saint Francis Hospice patients. Wanda tells us that she makes cards at night when she is at home because she loves it and it keeps her busy. She says it is her therapy. When they are completed, she donates them to Saint Francis Hospice so that the patients can have
a beautiful handmade card on their birthday. When she isn’t busy making these beautiful cards, she can be found volunteering in the hospice inpatient area on the third floor of Saint Francis Hospital.
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2022 & 2023 Student/Teen Program The year 2022 was our first year for student and teen volunteers with hospice, and what fun they were! We miss them and are excited to have them this summer when they return. This program is for high school students between the ages of 14 and 17 with at least a 3.0 GPA. We love to get students involved in helping the community, and we hope many of them will be back at Saint Francis, either as employees or volunteers in the future.
2022 Student summer volunteers:
Ava K. – Holland Hall
Abudulrahman A. – Peace Academy
Erica L. – Cascia Hall
Upala B. – Jenks High School
Elodie M. – Booker T. Washington High School
Isabella B. – Jenks High School
Andrew N. – All Saints
Abigail B. – Jenks High School
Diya P. – Jenks High School
Sofie C. – Jenks High School
Chase R. - Jenks High School
Levi F. – Owasso High School
Divya T. - Bishop Kelley High School
Chloe G. – Oologah-Talala High School
Abbey T. – Edison High School
Katelyn J. – Riverfield Country Day School
Zaida W. – Owasso High School
2023 Student summer volunteers: Ava Khorgami Abigail Boughner Divya Thomas
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Diya Patel Upala Bhowmik Ramsey Wagner
Adeline Wagner Anevay Palacios James Price
Sahil Patel Dhea Pushprag Adriana Rodriguez
Students in Action
During fall 2022, we were joined by 21 high school juniors and seniors as our first ever Student Explorer Program kicked off. The students came from two of our Tulsa area high schools, Tulsa Honor Academy and Union High School, which allowed students to participate as an elective internship. Students earned two high school class credits while they learned strong clinical and clerical skills by serving with us. Their tasks and duties were the same as adult volunteers, and they served in 11 areas of the hospital and the Xavier Medical Clinic. The 21 students were paired with staff members who trained them on their tasks, mentored them and monitored their progress. The school year program is named the Student Explorer Program because the students are assigned to three areas each for rotations of four to six weeks each. Rotating allows them to explore the hospital to see which areas they may want to pursue on their college and career pathways. Last school year the students donating more than 1,154 hours. Earlier this year, we received more than 80 applications for students who wanted to volunteer during summer break, and
we onboarded 66 of them. These student volunteers served in 40-plus areas, including the South, Muskogee and Vinita hospitals and several Warren Clinic outpatient clinics. They were assigned two four-hour shifts each week, and they served at a different location each shift, allowing them to experience more areas of the system. The students served more than 3,179 hours. These programs are so important that we have transferred volunteer coordinator Melissa Bates from the Saint Francis Hosptial South to Saint Francis Hospital to oversee student volunteers. Her sole responsibilities are to grow our student programs. She will be reaching out to more of the local high schools, including Vinita and Muskogee to start the Explorer Programs there. She will also take over the summer program and MASH.
All Students will be phasing out the yellow polo shirts and will be wearing a nice grey polo shirt with black scrub pants. Don’t forget to say hi and help encourage them!
SUMMER EDITION 2023 | 24
Hospice Volunteer of the Year 2022 Fred Boyd – 2022 Fred is an incredible volunteer who has been with us for almost eight years. He is a proud veteran and assists us with many veteran-to-veteran patient situations, the We Honor Veterans program and veteran ceremonies throughout the year. Fred volunteers several times a week at Saint Francis Hospital in the inpatient area, visiting with patients to comfort them and sometimes tell a bad joke to make them laugh. Fred is a master carpenter and makes handmade toys to hand out to children. He is a warm-hearted gentleman, and we are lucky and proud to have him volunteer for us.
Barbara Thompson – 2023 Barbara Thompson has been a volunteer for Saint Francis Hospice for 17 years. She volunteers in the hospice office with just about anything we need. She is sweet, kind and knows the office better than most of the employees do. Barbara is also a second term member of our Advisory Board.
Hospice Volunteer Years of Service Awards (as of December 2022)
1 YEAR
7 YEARS
12 Y E A R S
David Barron Sandra Donceel Halle Giles Wanda Harper Lane McCoy Paul Sandberg
Fred Boyd Deborah Danaher Thomas Loney
Doris Gregory John Gregory Clara Holderman
9 YEARS
2 YEARS
Steve Robbins Sharon Cotner Jacki VanCura
Beth Persac
10 YEARS
3 YEARS
Rebecca Moffitt Carl Renoud Linda Swanda
Kathy McCulley
25 | STETHOSCOPE
17 Y E A R S
Barbara Thompson 26 YEARS
Ailsa Vojvoda 28 YEARS
Carol Graham
Please also remember our fellow volunteers who have passed since our last Stethoscope publication. They are truly missed. Ron Combs
Arlene Hubby
Mary McGranahan
Betty Grigor
Marge Lubas
Sonny Rose
Evlyn Horn
Mary Matteson
Geral Wyatt
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Referral Program
This is a quick reminder that we have a referral program here for our Saint Francis Hospice volunteers. If you refer a new volunteer and the volunteer is here for at least 60 days after qualifying, you will receive 100 hours of volunteer credit and a gift card to QuikTrip. These are a couple small ways for us to say thank you because we know the best volunteers come from referrals. If you know that someone has applied who you referred, please contact Angela Baldwin with their name, and she will make sure you are rewarded for your efforts in recruiting new volunteers.
DON’T FORGET! Save the date for our
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON DECEMBER 6, 2023
Details to come!
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We are also excited to welcome our new volunteers! Zainab Al-Kazaz – Hospice Allison Burkholder – Hospice Debbie Burd-Varner – Yale Caleb Carter – Yale Christopher Dorey – Hospice Erica Dotson – Hospice Linda Files – Hospice A.J. Hernandez – Hospice Marilyn Lyons – Yale Susan McCoy – Yale Sarah Neph – Yale Khanh Nguyen – Hospice Rachel Steed – Hospice Audrey Tatum – Yale Amanda Thompson – Yale Judy Wagner – Yale Lynn Wells – Yale Sandra Ailshie – Muskogee Bryttne Allen – Yale Joe Barrett – Muskogee Brandon Battles – Yale Deborah Burd-Varner – Yale Kaylea Bushyhead – Yale Caleb Carter – Yale
Sally Catron – South Ronda Cooper – Yale Lisa Craig – Yale Lexi Cramp – Muskogee Jane Crownover – Muskogee Annaline Drake – Yale
Sarah Neph – Yale Kimberly O’Brien – Yale Samira Ould El Gadia – South Lisa Phelan – Yale Teresa Phipps – Xavier Pamela Rains – Yale
Anne Feher – Yale Charles Friel – Yale
Jaycee Sallis – Muskogee Sue Shamas – South Sandra Shreder – Yale Paula Southerland – Muskogee Jean Stoiberg – Yale Rebecca Stover – Yale Nancy Swain – Yale Audrey Tatum – Yale Amanda Thompson – Yale James Vogel – South Alixandra Vogle – Vinita Chloe Walker – Muskogee Alicia Ward – Yale Theresa Williamson – Yale
Pet - Willow
Pet - Buddy
Erica Gaddis – South Addesen Glass – Muskogee Paula Gough – Yale Frankie Greer – Muskogee Raymond Hale – South Timothy Henry – Yale Pamela Holcomb – Yale Pet - Sammy
Lori Johnson – Yale Kathy King – Yale Marilyn Lyons – Xavier Hawm Mang – Yale John Manuel – Yale Pet - Suzy
Leah McDonald – South Angela McLemore – Yale
Pet - Dash
Pet - Stella
Gabriel Wunsch – Yale