By Veronica Scoggins, Staff Writer

Last year, about 400 volunteers contributed more than 76,000 hours at a value of close to $500,000 to Enid’s hospitals, Integris Bass Baptist Health Center and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

“The volunteers really brighten things up around here,” said Cyndy Shepherd, St. Mary’s director of corporate communications. “They help boost staff and patient morale and really get a lot of needed things done.”

The hospitals recently ended their summer volunteer programs for high school students, which lasts eight weeks and offers college scholarships to graduating seniors.

A volunteer banquet is set Aug. 7 for Bass junior volunteers. During that time, four scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded to seniors.

“We are going to give awards for most overall 2007 hours, most first-year hours, most accumulative hours and award college scholarships to seniors,” said Carolyn Holden, Integris director of volunteer services. “The 20 junior volunteers contributed 920 hours equaling $5,382 of service this summer.”

St. Mary’s already has announced its $1,000 scholarship recipients —Molly Cartmill, Medford; Taylor Ging, Enid; Suzanne Hermanski, Garber; Megan Wagner, Enid; and Logan Hurt, Ringwood.

“It’s a great way for students to get work experience before they turn 16, and it gives them so many opportunities,” Holden said. “They get to help the community, get volunteer hours and receive scholarships for college.”

Volunteers can work in areas that interest them. St. Mary’s offers volunteer services to more than 50 areas of the hospital, said Delana Jobe, volunteer manager.

The youngest volunteer at St. Mary’s was Hayden Bean, 14, who worked in maintenance.

“It was the area that interested me the most, so I got to work there,” he said. “I think volunteering is a great experience, and kids should try it.”

He said it is enjoyable, and he thinks it will give him skills for later in life.

“I learned how to do harder work and use hands-on skills,” Bean said. “I am definitely going to come back next year.”

Volunteers at Bass can work in many areas, including waiting rooms, nutrition services, the Pavilion, escort and the gift shop.

“We try to match volunteers with an area they will like,” Holden said. “And with our senior volunteers, if they are in an area that they don’t feel is right for them, we will switch them until they find something they like.”

The hospitals always welcome new volunteers, she said.

“We can always use more volunteers,” she said. “They give so much to the hospital every year in projects and volunteer time.”

This year, money from the volunteer’s fund helped pay to redecorate the waiting rooms in radiation oncology at Bass, Holden said.

Volunteers can work one morning or afternoon a week up to every day of the week.

“We have ranges of dedication,” Shepherd said. “One volunteer works seven days a week, which equals almost two full-time employees a year.”

St. Mary’s has two sets of volunteers unique to the hospital.

SaintMobiles, volunteers who give people rides to and from the parking lot, provided 124,871 rides for customers and patients.

SaintMobiles participated in several other local charities, including in 4R Kids and March of Dimes.

St. Mary’s also has started using therapy dogs, and those hours are tracked as volunteer hours.

“We started using pet therapy animals with some patients, and they really seem to enjoy the company,” Shepherd said.

“One lady couldn’t speak, but when we brought a dog into the room, she took the dog’s face in her hands and started mumbling to him,” Shepherd said. “It was so amazing that she reacted like that, and it really shows how these pets are making a difference.”

The two nationally certified therapy dogs visit waiting rooms and cardiac infusion.

“It really helps time go by, and they bring a lot of joy to people in stressful times,” Shepherd said.