Health Watch: Volunteers play critical role at local hospitals

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Hospitals rely on skilled staff to care for patients, but at Rutland Regional Medical Center and many other hospitals, volunteers also play a critical role.

“After retiring, I felt that I really needed something to keep me on a somewhat schedule and I just thought that this was a great place to volunteer,” said Linda Lambert, who along with her husband, are regular volunteers at Rutland Regional Medical Center.

“We tried both volunteering and doing separate days, but then it’s like, you retired to spend time with each other, and then we were like ships passing in the night. So, it’s great to do it together and we enjoy our time together,” Lambert said.

The Lambert’s story is a common one and hospital officials say out of the over 180 current volunteers, most don’t have prior medical experience or education. “Students and retired professionals -- we have folks here that have been CEOs of businesses, physicians, nurses, all kinds of different roles,” said RRMC’s Brian Kerns.

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