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Volunteers at McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital were honored with a lunch April 28 as part of the annual recognition of their service to the hospital.

Hospital President and CEO Richard Daniels, who is retiring at the end of the year, welcomed the volunteers and told them the lunch was the first stop on his final season tour, as athletes do who have announced their retirements.

"Years ago, someone said the age of volunteers was going out," he said, explaining that the late Biz Campbell had set up a volunteer service for McCullough-Hyde. "Now, we have volunteers in 25 departments of the hospital. You are very important to the hospital. You are very important to the patients. On behalf of the hospital and patients, I thank you."

Awards were presented by the hospital auxiliary

for hours of service, as well as the volunteer services department.

The top auxiliary award went to Lorraine Wise, who has achieved 8,000 hours of volunteer time, and they also recognized Carolyn Stearns who reached 5,000 hours.

Recognition was presented by both the auxiliary and hospital to Mary Lee Keebler for 4,500 hours of service completed since 1965 and to Kantham Pappu for her 3,500 hours since 1985.

The hospital also recognized Judy Schiller and Vernice Turner for 2,500 hours, as well as three women, who have reached 1,500 hours — Flora Fortney, Peg McKillop and Virginia Staberg.

The auxiliary presented recognition to those same people for those total hours, but other levels as well.

Bonnie Simpkins received auxiliary recognition for 3,000 hours.

Four volunteers were recognized for reaching 1,000 hours — Pete Parker, Clara Poteete, Juanita King and Carolyn Riegel.

Volunteers honored for

500 hours were Jane Baer, Alice Bolger, Ed Bolger, Bonne Brown, John Buchanan, Youlonda Clauss, Judy Fairburn, Jane Selm and Marilyn Sherman.

Those given auxiliary awards for 100 hours were Jay Barden, Marianne Brunner, Julie Campbell Ruggard, Lynn Cronk, Reba Deiss, Vivian Faber, Karen Gesell, Dana Hadden, Pat Parker, Patty Sparks, Marilyn Walton, Gerry Wickham and Kathy Wiley.

The hospital staff honored their Volunteer of the Month recipients from the past year — Irene Hartman, Virginia Lee, Mick Miller, Trish Otto, Pete Parker, Mickey Preston, Vernice Turner, John VanLieu and Gerry Wickham.

The volunteers turned the tables on hospital staff, too, presenting their "Employee of the Year" recognition for

a hospital employee who

goes out of the way to help the volunteers.

That award was presented to Annette Skinner, of the Wellness Center.

Auxiliary president Alyce Potter was presented with an award from the hospital's Risk Management Committee in appreciation for efforts by volunteers during a risk management assessment at the hospital.

They had discovered a large number of patients injured in falls and the auxiliary worked to find volunteers to sit with patients in their rooms.

"We found it to be popular and found gifted people able to be sitters," said Barb Cluster, of risk management.

"We found falls reduced by a third. That's a great accomplishment," she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139 or bratterman@coxohio.com.

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