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20 HEALTH • Summer 2017 Volunteers bring comfort, optimization to local hospitals \\ By Livia Gershon M ary Lou Dolan decided she wanted to be a hospital volunteer after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery at Milford Regional Medical Center. Although her recovery was going well already, a pair of volun- teers, Jim and Kelly, stepped in to help Dolan, a Millville resident, following her December procedure. Both received the weight loss surgery at the hospital too, and it was their job to get Dolan up and walking. "Having somebody that has gone through it already is a great help," said Dolan, a Millville resident. "They're also living proof that (the surgery) works." Right away, Dolan knew she wanted to offer the same help to patients. This spring, she completed a training program and now visits patients recovering from weight loss surgery on a weekly basis. AN EXTRA SET OF HANDS Dolan is part of a large pool of volunteers at Milford Regional, which, like all area hospitals, maintains a vibrant volunteer program that enhances virtually all facets of hospital operations. In fiscal year 2016, Milford Regional received help from 511 volunteers, said Elaine Willey, director of volunteer services for the 145-bed community hospital. "There are a lot of wonderful people in the com- munity, and all the communities, who want to pro- vide meaningful help," Willey said. Measuring volunteerism According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6.6 percent of the nation's 62.6 million volunteers in 2015 worked in hospital or other healthcare settings, making it one of the largest sectors attracting volunteers, behind education, social services and religious outreach programs. Willey said many of Milford Regional's volun- teers are retirees looking for fulfilling ways to use their time, while others may be considering Renee Leoncini and Megan Huber scoop ice cream for a patient at UMass Memorial on a Friday afternoon in early June. Leoncini spends two hours a week serving ice cream to patients and their families at the Worcester hospital. P H O T O / L A U R A F I N A L D I