Teen Volunteers Give Back and Learn About Health Care
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 22, 2016) – Some teens spend summer vacation doing advanced placement homework while others play video games or find summer jobs. Three students from Henry Clay High School are spending their summer volunteering with UK HealthCare through the Teen Volunteer Program.
Lauren Spivey, Emily Spivey and Reagan Smith each spend several hours a week giving back and providing support and smiles to those receiving treatment at Albert B. Chandler Hospital. This is the second year sisters Emily and Lauren Spivey will spend participating in the volunteer program. After their mother told them about the opportunity, they decided to participate because they enjoy helping people. Smith, also a second-year volunteer, decided to participate again for “the chance to give back while gaining medical experience.”
The Spivey sisters and Smith have a variety of responsibilities that rotate throughout their time of service. For example, after patients are out of surgery and in the recovery area, Lauren Spivey escorts their families to visit them from the waiting area. Although she enjoys the task, her favorite area is the Pavilion A gift shop.
While Emily Spivey also enjoys working in the gift shop, her favorite task is delivering mail and flowers to patients throughout UK HealthCare. She prefers this task because she “likes seeing patients happy and enjoying visitors and the flowers make them smile.” Smith appreciates the variety in his responsibilities, delivering toys to the patients at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, providing direction to guests and assisting radiology and imaging. Emily Spivey and Smith envision working as health care providers in their future and consider volunteering an opportunity to learn about different specialties. Lauren would like to work in marketing; she likes learning how the hospital and health care providers engage with the community.
The Teen Volunteer Program has been part of UK HealthCare for more than 50 years and on average there are about 60 volunteers each summer. After applying and interviewing for the program, the selected teens attend an orientation to learn more about their volunteer roles, take a tour of the hospital and hear about a variety of health care career opportunities. After meeting all necessary requirements, volunteers receive a certificate of completion for their summer of service.
To learn more about volunteering with UK HealthCare click here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Olivia McCoy, olivia.mccoy1@uky.edu, (859) 257-1076
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