REM Awards (2001) — Inland Hospital — Michael MacKenzie

I’ll tell you what volunteers mean to the people of Inland Hospital.

If you are struggling with a walker, or perhaps a cane, the pleasant woman who opens the front door for you just as you approach is probably a volunteer.

If you are a patient who is restless and unhappy about being confined to a hospital room, the gentleman who approaches with a basket of warm muffins and a bit of conversation is a volunteer.

If you are a teenager used to being entertained and you’re bored with the hospital television, that courteous person who brings you the Nintendo or a movie is one of our volunteers.

If you are a nurse wishing that you had an extra pair of hands, the person who provides them for you is a volunteer.

As in any hospital today, Inland’s budget must provide for well-trained staff and the latest technology. Our staff will see to it that proper care and attention is given to every one who comes through the doors.

But it’s that important extra personal touch that volunteers provide. Because we value every volunteer who gives of his or her talent, we couldn’t pick just one to receive this honor. However, Michael MacKenzie will receive the award for all Inland Hospital Volunteers.

Michael is a perfect example of the spirit of volunteering. He began volunteering at our hospital in 1988 and faithfully reports to his job three days a week. At the moment he has accumulated more than 12,400 hours. Through the years, he has worked as a volunteer in Central Sterilization, Materials Management, and HomeCare. He currently works in Radiology.

Michael has been honored as an exemplary volunteer more than once. On one such occasion, a staff member wrote, “I don’t know when I have so much enjoyed working with such a friendly and likeable person. He radiates an almost contagious joy and inner peace . . . he is willing to do anything and when he completes one job he is looking for another.”

We couldn’t say it better.

For more information about Inland Hospital, please visit its website.