FROM COMPANIONSHIP TO COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE OF VOLUNTEERS AT UF HEALTH
Recognizing the noble efforts of those who dedicate time to helping others
In the bustling halls of UF Health Shands Hospital, the sound of selflessness echoes through the air as volunteers lend their time and their hearts to those in need. From comforting patients and their families to assisting medical staff, UF Health volunteers are a vital part of the hospital community, and their contributions are truly immeasurable.
In 2022 alone, around 2,000 volunteers provided 66,158 hours of service — the equivalent of 7.6 years — helping to enhance the quality of care and support provided to patients. With National Volunteer Appreciation Week in April, it’s a fitting time to shine a spotlight on the impact these volunteers have made and to celebrate their dedication to making a difference in the lives of others.
Nicholas Ma coordinates the No One Dies Alone program, which provides the reassuring presence of a volunteer companion to dying patients.
Meet Nicholas Ma, who started volunteering at UF Health as an undergrad at UF and continues to volunteer while studying at UF’s College of Medicine. Ma said his upbringing, along with being part of the Vietnamese-American community, is what motivated him to start volunteering.
“Within my family, there’s a sense of duty and a sense of purpose,” he said. “It’s just part of who we are. We believe in serving others and doing what we can for the common good.”
Ma currently coordinates the No One Dies Alone program, which provides the reassuring presence of a volunteer companion to dying patients. If a patient has no loved ones to accompany them while receiving end-of-life care, a volunteer sits with them and provides comfort.
“I think just being there with them during one of their most vulnerable moments is undoubtedly a major privilege,” Ma said. “As long as they have someone who can carry them through those final stages in this world, I believe that presence can make a major difference.”
Another volunteer, Louise Watson, found herself wanting to get involved in the community after she moved from New York to Gainesville eight years ago. Watson spent her career as a software engineer, which she said didn’t provide a lot of social interaction since she spent most of her time on a computer.
“When I retired, I was trying to decide who I would be in retirement,” Watson said. “I didn’t want to be on a computer any more than I had to, and I really liked volunteer work. So that’s what I wanted to define my retirement — good volunteer work.”
Over the years, Watson has worn many hats while volunteering at UF Health Shands. She’s helped in medical/surgical units, visited patients in the ER, worked in The Gift Stop and is also the president of the UF Health Shands Hospital Auxiliary, a group of volunteers who assist with rendering comfort, aid and friendly understanding to patients.
“I enjoyed visiting with patients,” Watson added. “Surprisingly often, I’d end up sitting down with someone and really connecting with them, finding things in common and having a really nice, long conversation that I would hold on to.”
It’s not just people who make a mark by volunteering their time — the program also works with dogs to spread some canine joy to patients.
“We currently have seven teams that visit eligible patients throughout the hospitals,” said Allyson Crawford, director of Volunteer Services at UF Health Shands. “The dogs are specially trained and certified to interact with all types of people and their human handlers have met all the requirements to volunteer at the hospital.”
Crawford said the program is actively recruiting new pet therapy teams and those who may be interested in participating can learn more by visiting the Pet Therapy volunteers web page.
She said her favorite four-legged volunteer event is the annual Pet Therapy Halloween Parade at the children’s hospital.
“The teams — dog and human — dress up and parade through the pediatric units,” Crawford said. “Patients, families and staff love to see the dogs in their costumes.”
The impact of volunteers at UF Health goes beyond the individual patient level. They also help create a warm and welcoming environment for everyone who enters the hospital. Whether it’s by offering a kind word or a friendly smile (or paw), our volunteers are making UF Health a better place for all. They may come from all walks of life, but share a common goal — to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families.
