As National Volunteer Appreciation Week approaches, Satellite Healthcare shines light on the recently instituted volunteer program, launched in December of 2020. Although the program is fairly new, community outreach has been widely successful. From aspiring medical practitioners to retirees looking to help out where they can, the program offers support to people who live on dialysis and the treatment staff who care for them.
Currently, volunteers focus their efforts on COVID-19 wellness screenings as people enter the treatment center, which can include checking their temperature, asking health-related questions, and giving them new masks. These may seem like effortless tasks, but having people to complete them allows staff members to focus more fully on giving care to people on dialysis.
Paula Allen, Volunteer Program Specialist, explains that, “As a company, we want to help more people. Bringing volunteers in is a great way to increase our capacity so that we can reach more people.” Because trusted volunteers are taking care of simple, yet significant COVID-19 screening, staff are able to concentrate on clinical matters such as setting up dialysis equipment and monitoring the health of people during this life-sustaining treatment.
The process of becoming a Satellite volunteer is relatively straightforward: first, interested persons fill out an online application, which will then be reviewed and a one-on-one interview with Allen will be set up.
Once applicants become official volunteers-in-training, they sign paperwork, complete a background check and health screening. Finally, they are trained on how to screen patients for COVID-19, educated about the basics of dialysis care, and most importantly, learn more about how to interact and build professional relationships with patients and their families. “They’re well trained, so it’s not something you could walk in the front door and do on your first day with no training,” Allen adds.
Satellite Healthcare encourages potential volunteers to learn more. If you are considering a healthcare career, interested in learning about dialysis, or are just looking for opportunities to serve your community, apply for the volunteer position at www.satellitehealthcare.com/volunteer.
On behalf of Satellite Healthcare, Allen would like to express the company’s gratitude for the people who volunteered: “Thank you for being a Satellite volunteer. We appreciate you. You’re helping us humanize healthcare, and you’re helping patients with kidney disease.”