Image: Contributed
Greyback Construction doing early construction on the new patient tower at the Penticton Regional Hospital.
If Interior Health paid minimum wage to all the volunteers who put in time at Penticton Regional Hospital, Launa Stocker believes it would surpass the $1 million mark annually.
That indicates just how important volunteers are to make the hospital run smoothly. They’re about to need even more of them with PRH’s expansion well underway.
Stocker, who is Interior Health’s volunteer co-ordinator, currently has approximately 300 people donating their time to PRH, and as soon as the hospital’s expansion is done in the spring she is going to need at least another 50.
“The training for all of that has to start in February and March,” Stocker said. “Everybody has to have a tour of the hospital, so I’ll be needing people to help me do the tours, wayfinding.”
Wayfinding is quite literally finding your way around a physical environment, which in the case of PRH will be a maze of new hallways. And everyone is going to need directions once the David E. Kampe Tower is up and operational.
“It’s not only for patients and visitors, but the staff as well,” Stocker said. “Some of the old building is going to be existing, so it’s finding your way back and forth between the two. There’s going to be consistent variables in locations for that first six months or so. So wayfinding’s going to be really big.”
The new tower will require more than only wayfinder volunteers. People are needed to deliver ice and meals on wheels, to guide patients through the medical imaging department, to help operate the pet therapy program, and to staff the new cafe and gift shop. Proceeds from the cafe and gift shop go back into the hospital’s coffers.
Stocker said volunteers are needed not only during the day, but on weekends and evenings as well. Anyone 16 years or older is eligible to volunteer after a criminal record check.
Anyone interested in volunteering at PRH can e-mail Stocker at [email protected].
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