1 COUNCIL COURIER VOLUME 62 NO. 1 (1958—2020) DECEMBER 2019 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE COUNCIL ON VOLUNTEER SERVICES GEORGIA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION December 2019 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST I have been busy getting organized and work- ing on the next Conference with Cathy. I also visited Effingham Health System in Springfield in the Southeast District for their Fiftieth Anni- President 1 versary. While I was there, a volunteer was “Presidents” 3 asked to give the Invocation and this is what she said right off the cuff. I later asked her to Conference 4-6 write it down, so I could share it as I am with you in the Courier. I think so many times we Awards Winners 5 lose sight of what our mission truly is as volun- Ads 8 & 12 teers. Her words state it beautifully. Her name is Shirley Wright and this is what she said. Contact Info 17—20 We are volunteers. That’s what we do. The uniforms we wear represent an as- Courier Info 21 sociation of kindred spirits. We know, encourage and care for each other. We relate our life experiences. When one shares a joy, we rejoice together. When one grieves, we all grieve. That’s what we do. We are present with those that are in our care. We are volunteers. We form bonds with those we serve. Our interactions with each one assures them that they are in a safe place. They leave us comforted, we leave with grateful hearts. In addition to the hours we serve in one specific locale, our actions as volun- teers have become a part of our daily routine. It’s just our way of life. We vol- untarily take that stray buggy back inside the store, we hold doors open for oth- ers, we give a smile to those frowning. We assist in whatever opportunities we are given and they ARE opportunities. That’s what we do. We are volunteers. Congratulations for a wonderful Conference and 60th Anniversary Party to the Southwest District under the capable leadership of Martha Greene-Tucker, Conference Chair and her two wonderful District Direc- tors, Linda Holloway and Joan Newpeck. I leave these thoughts with all of you and I wish you the happiest of Christmas and the new year ahead. Betty Anne 2 COUNCIL COURIER VOLUME 62 NO. 1 (1958—2020) DECEMBER 2019 PRESIDENT: Betty Anne Foran SECRETARY: Carolyne Green PRESIDENT ELECT: Martha Greene-Tucker TREASURER: Gordenia Murdoch FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Cathy Hefner PAST PRESIDENT: Susan Hahn 2nd VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP: Mary Lynne Cochran (All contact info on pages 17—21) January 21—22 COVS Board of Management Meeting, Macon March 10 Southeast District Spring Meeting, Alma March 11 Southwest District Spring Meeting, Fitzgerald March 12 Central District Spring Meeting, Forsyth March 22—24 SHVL Annual Conference, New Orleans March 31 Northeast District Spring Meeting, Snellville April 1 Northwest District Spring Meeting, Marietta April 2 North Central District Spring Meeting, Hiawassee April 21—22 Board of Management Meeting, Macon July 21—22 Board of Management Meeting, Macon October 18 — 21 COVS Annual Conference, Augusta I really enjoyed seeing many of you at Conference, October 20-23. Also, many of you promised to send me news and photos for the Courier—please do!! We have a lot of busy Auxiliaries, doing a lot of good work! District Directors, please encourage your Aux- iliaries to send news to me! (Sending News Paper articles are not always able to print —some have a entire page of writing—I can’t use this…pictures do not always show up good!) For more instructions about sending me INFO, see page 20 for more detail infor- mation and instructions. WE want your NEWS!! Claudia Parks COURIER EDITOR Merry Christmas & Happy New Year— Claudia COVS Website at gha.org/covs Webmaster: Edith Richardson - [email protected] - 770-474-6181 3 COUNCIL COURIER VOLUME 62 NO. 1 (1958—2020) DECEMBER 2019 Time has really flown by since the 2019 Conference. I have been busy resting and sleeping. I am excited about serving as the COVS President Elect. The main focus this year will be on Healthcare. I have already shared information with the District Directors and I hope they have passed it on to the Volunteer Presidents and Healthcare Advocates to be shared with each individual volunteer. November news clips are brought to you by CarePort Health. They are the leading care coordination network with providers connected across the US. Some of the articles selected are intended to feature news about GHA members (that’s you) with healthcare topics. Articles featured this month were: Archbold Medical Center was recognized with a Distinguished Service Award. The article stated that Arch- bold has taken extraordinary measures to remain one of the most vital partners in providing quality, up-to- date, and necessary health science education. Another: GHA news clip “UGA looks to close health care workforce gap”. Also from Augusta, MCG Research- ers identify link between high glucose and function of circadian clocks in cells. From Macon, “Holiday season perfect time to become organ donor”. Please take time to read, each article gives timely news items and provides valuable resources for keeping in touch with hospitals all over the state of Georgia and what they are doing in Health care. We are in the middle of the Holiday Season, “May each of you have a safe and Merry Christmas and a Hap- py New Year (2020). Martha First Vice President Conference Chair — Cathy Hefner I am super excited to be your 2020 COVS Conference Chairperson. We all en- joyed an extra special 60th Anniversary Conference due to the efforts of Martha Greene-Tucker and the Southwest District and District Directors, Linda Holloway and Joan Newpeck. The 2020 Conference will be hosted by the Central District with the guidance of their District Directors, Joyce Barrett and Jimmy Hall. This year the theme will be the OCEAN with a hint of Celtic flare, which will add some interesting events to the conference. The Conference Planning committee met in Macon, the first part of November, and it was a very successful meeting. What an enthusiastic group! Ideas were flying around like mad! As promised, comments from the survey sheets were discussed, and we already have implemented some of these ideas into our program. We have listened to what COVS members are suggesting and the ideas are endless. I am looking forward to the next few months of planning with a WONDERFUL group of volunteers! Diolchgarwch hapus a gwyliau hapus – Welsh – Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays 4 COUNCIL COURIER VOLUME 62 NO. 1 (1958—2020) DECEMBER 2019 Earl Rogers, GHA President and Susan Hahn President 2018—2019 CEO GA Hospital Association PRESENTATION OF COLORS by: Air Force ROTC—Augusta EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Betty Anne Foran — President Martha Greene—Tucker —President Elect Cathy Hefner—First Vice President Conference Chair ( I’M SORRY THAT I Lynn Hale, GHA Liaison Mary Lynne Cochran—Vice President Membership DON’T HAVE PICTURES Assistant to Carolyne Green—Secretary OF ALL THE EXECUTIVE Gordenia Murdoch—Treasurer GHA President COMMITTEE) Wanda Sellers—Past President, Nominating Chair We are volunteers. That’s what we do. The uniforms we wear represent an association of kindred spirits. We know, encourage and care for each other. We relate our life experiences. When one shares a joy, we rejoice together. When one grieves, we all grieve. That’s what we do. We are present with those that are in our care. We are volunteers. We form bonds with those we serve. Our interactions with each one assures them that they are in a safe place. They leave us comforted, we leave with grateful hearts. Betty Anne Foran, President 5 COUNCIL COURIER VOLUME 62 NO. 1 (1958—2020) DECEMBER 2019 CEO of the 2019 Year, Trent Lind of Eastside Medical Center in CEO of The Year 2019 Snellville, Georgia. He stipulated in an interview with Gwinnett Maga- zine that at “ Eastside, our goal is to be the best place to receive care, the best place to practice medicine, and the best place to work… even though we’re expanding and growing, we’re still a community hospital, so we want to be engaged with our community.” Trent became the CEO at Eastside Medical Center in 2016 and because of his proactive involve- ment in the hospital and its community, the hospital has done a com- plete turn around from a place very few wanted to practice to a hospital where physicians returned. In fact, Eastside, under Lind’s guidance be- came a top ten safe hospital in Georgia. Not only does Trent support his staff, but he also supports his volunteers and patients. Whether it is with a hug or a kind word of encouragement, Trent is a visible Adminis- trator with an open-door policy. MVS(DVS) of the 2019-year, Carol Kratochvil of Northside Hospi- tal Atlanta, who once a volunteer, gained the admiration and respect of Northside Atlanta’s Hospital Administration, staff and volunteers. She inspires and encourages teamwork both within the Auxiliary and the hospital. She has been the force behind the tremendous respect on the part of hospital leadership towards the Auxiliary. She is available to all and is welcoming who exhibits great listening and organization skills. She respects the volunteers their opinions and talents. She makes the volunteers feel as if they are being heard and valued. On top of it all, Carol is results oriented and has been the driving force of many projects such as Screen Atlanta Mammography Mobil Van. Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital has won the Community of Conscience Award for a Large Hospital for 2019.