Volunteen Program

Walton Regional Medical Center Welcomes Summer Volunteens

Monroe, GA --- Walton Regional Medical Center Volunteen Program gives teens that are interested in the healthcare field the opportunity to participate in services at the hospital, learn more about careers, and to fulfill their requirement for community service hours.

“Currently 17 Volunteens, that represent 11 different schools in the area, are working this summer at WRMC.  The Voluteens must be between the ages of 14 and 18, have a B average along with a teacher recommendation.  The students work 4 to 6 hours per day, for 5 weeks.  They will experience 2 or 3 departments from Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy, Birthing Center, Emergency Room, Surgery, Administration, and the Nursing Home.

For volunteen Brooke Barrett, 10^th grader at Monroe Area High School, she completed the application process because she liked the experience and the diversity of the program.   “Ms. Wheeler, my Health teacher at Monroe Area High School, opened my eyes to Walton Regional Medical Center and about becoming a Volunteen,” said Brooke Barrett.

Dr. David Norman, surgeon at Walton Regional Medical Center encouraged his daughter Shelby to complete the Volunteen application.  Shelby, a 10^th grader at Paideia, said, “I have been in and around hospitals all my life and want a view from outside of the Physicians Lounge.”   Shelby is interested in Psychiatry as a future career; “My brother is special needs and I want to learn more about the mind and why he has experienced challenges,” said Shelby.

Volunteen, Chelsey Barrett, 9^th grader at Walnut Grove High School, wants to be a Pediatrician and she is in hopes of solidifying her thoughts about her career of choice.  “Ms. Susan, my Girl Scout leader is the person who encouraged me to apply for the Volunteen program,” said Chelsey.

Walton Regional began the Volunteen program 3 years ago and over 35 students have had the opportunity to learn more about health careers.  WRMC Interim CEO Jon-Paul Croom believes the program is valuable.  “With the growth in the healthcare industry, we need to continue to encourage students to consider theses careers.  We are glad to provide this opportunity for so many youth,” said Jon-Paul Croom.

For more information about the “Volunteen Program” at Walton Regional Medical Center, please call Human Resources Michelle Monsrud or Brenda Moulder at 770-267-8461 or www.waltonregional.com .

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Blue Angels Birthday

(Monroe, GA – June 1, 2010)  For volunteers at Walton Regional Medical Center who serve as Blue Angels, age is not an excuse for slowing down.   Christine Marino, a Blue Angel volunteer in the WRMC gift shop since 2006, will celebrate her 90^th birthday this week.   “Visitors to the gift shop recognize her as a smiling face and a positive force,” said Jon-Paul Croom, interim CEO at Walton Regional.   Born June 7, 1920 in New Jersey, Christine has two children, three grandsons, and five great-grandchildren.  She moved to Florida in 1992 and several years later relocated to Georgia, now residing with her daughter, Anna.   Until just a few years ago, Christine played golf regularly, and she still drives, gardens, and enjoys cooking.  Her biscotti are a favorite of all who taste them, especially her four-legged friends, Rosie and Snow.  Christine is an avid tennis and golf fan, watching tournaments on television constantly.  She has been known to be on vacation and prefer to watch sports rather than sightsee.  Christine believes that being active is the key to staying healthy and feeling young.    “I attribute my long life to hard work,” said Christine Marino. “The best thing about volunteering is being able to see everyone and speak to them, from the maintenance folks to the CEO and everyone in between.” 

The Blue Angels Auxiliary is a volunteer organization that supports Walton Regional Medical Center and its mission to bring compassionate healthcare to the community.   Volunteer opportunities are available in hospitality, patient rounding, gift shop, patient assistance in surgery, ER rounding, and more.  

For additional information on serving as a Blue Angel, contact the Associate Relations Department at WRMC at 770-267-1730.

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ATLANTA – Walton Regional Medical Center in Monroe has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll. Walton Regional Medical Center is one of 16 hospitals in Georgia to be placed in the Chairman’s category, the highest on the list.The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from January 2009 to December 2009.

“This is a great accomplishment for Walton Regional Medical Center,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. “This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Walton Regional Medical Center staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible.”

All acute care hospitals are required to submit care data to CMS. This data details how well a hospital’s caregivers adhere to a list of eight Appropriate Care Measures (ACM), which are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for patients who have suffered heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia. The ACM is a composite measure that determines whether or not a patient received the right care at the right time.

For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital, as well as at discharge. A suggested treatment for pneumonia is to administer an antibiotic within four hours of a patient’s arrival. A hospital’s adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.  

“It is our mission to ensure that each of our patients receive the right care at the right time and this recognition validates this,” said Jon-Paul Croom, interim chief executive officer of Walton Regional Medical Center.  “This honor is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff who are constantly working to make excellent care even better.”Walton Regional Medical Center is a 77-bed licensed, acute-care hospital located in Monroe.   WRMC serves as a Level III Trauma Center, performs thousands of ambulatory surgeries annually, and works closely with a medical staff of over 150 physicians to provide healthcare to the people in the Walton County area.

About PHA

The Partnership for Health and Accountability, formed in January 2000 and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, is a unique statewide collaborative that brings together health care providers with community agencies and individuals to achieve healthy communities. PHA includes representation from groups like hospitals, physicians, state health officials, legislators and businesses.

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