Presenter: Ruth Dube, Biological Sciences, Global Public Health Scholars
My practicum volunteer project took place at Adventist Healthcare, White Oak Medical
Center (WOMC). During my time volunteering, I was assigned to support patients recovering from surgery on the sixth floor of the hospital. I visited the hospital every Friday evening to provide aid to those recovering from critical medical conditions. To support post-surgery individuals, I performed tasks such as delivering soft foods (ice water, jello, ice cream, etc.), transported discharged patients to their vehicles, made follow-up calls to patients that have left, etc. Volunteering at WOMC connects to public health because I am able to provide an extra hand in caring for a patient's well being. Hospital staff can often be overwhelmed by many patients, and don’t always have the time to do the small things that count; bringing comfort items, conversing with patients, and reading to patients. Having someone who can do this for patients in between seeing their doctors can ease the stress they might be feeling from their surgery. With this experience, I was able to learn about all the beautiful life stories of many people in the hospital. The way their lives came to a halt after their medical conditions surfaced allowed me to understand our health is crucial to who we are as individuals, and so we must do everything we can to preserve it.