Brunswick Community Hospital: Volunteers Make a Difference
By Amy Myers

If you have been to Brunswick Community Hospital lately, chances are one of the hospital’s nearly 90 volunteers greeted you when you came in or said hello as you walked through the hallways.

“Every day, our volunteers help us carry out our mission of improving the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time,” says Deborah Rochelle, manager of service excellence and volunteers at Brunswick Community Hospital.

Volunteers serve in many departments within the hospital, from the gift shop, where volunteers sell greeting cards, gifts and goodies, to the laboratory, where volunteers help with the behind•the-scenes work of the hospital. Perhaps the most often seen volunteers are those who work at the information desk at the hospital’s outpatient entrance or in the surgical waiting room. 

With Brunswick Community Hospital’s replacement facility, Brunswick Novant Medical Center, scheduled to open this summer, even more volunteer opportunities will soon be available. The hospital is accepting applications for these volunteer positions now.

In addition to traditional volunteering opportunities, the hospital also needs volunteers who help from their homes. For example, several groups in the community knit blankets for newborns and others hand-sew teddy bears to give to young children having procedures in the hospital.

“Through their generous donation of time and talent, volunteers help us deliver the high-quality, compassionate care that our patients and their families deserve,” Rochelle says. “In return, many of our volunteers say they appreciate the experience of helping others.”

Hospital volunteers hold several fund-raising events each year, including uniform, book and jewelry sales, to help raise funds for special projects at the hospital and for community outreach efforts. Each year, volunteers use a portion of the funds raised to give scholarships to second-year students enrolled in health-related programs at Brunswick Community College.

In addition, volunteers assist with the hospital’s monthly Focus on Health lecture series. The community is invited to these free health seminars, which typically take place on the third Thursday of each month at Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation in Shallotte. Each month, a physician or other healthcare professional presents a seminar on an important health-related topic. For more information on these seminars, call (910) 755-1183.

“There are many diverse opportunities for volunteers at Brunswick Community Hospital,” Rochelle says. “Our goal is to match an individual’s skills and interests with a volunteering opportunity that will help others and bring the individual personal fulfillment.”

The hospital also has an exceptional team of volunteer chaplains led by Fran Salone-Pelletier. These individuals generously give their time to provide for the spiritual needs of the hospital patients.

If you are interested in volunteering at Brunswick Community Hospital, call Deborah Rochelle at (910) 755-1211, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, to receive an application.