SALINAS, CA—For 57 years, the Auxiliary volunteers have been familiar and friendly faces at Natividad Medical Center, whether they are helping hospital staff in various departments, in the Gift Shop, assisting patients and visitors at the information desks.

In recognition of the 2017 National Volunteer Week, April 23rd to 29th, and in honor of the Volunteer Auxiliary’s 57th year of service to the hospital, Natividad Medical Center is shining the spotlight on its dedicated volunteers. In 2016, the 425-member Auxiliary provided 51,546 hours of service to the hospital. These volunteers include young adults seeking work experience in a professional environment, college and high school students who have medical careers in mind, and retired seniors who wish to remain active and be of service to the community. More than half of the volunteers are fluent in both English and Spanish, which is a plus in our multi-lingual community. While the volunteers do not offer medical services, they perform a wide range of essential activities that make it possible for Natividad Medical Center to function and to serve the residents of Monterey County effectively. Scores of visitors enter NMC every day. Volunteers at the information desk play an important role by assisting patients and visitors access the hospital and its services.

“Volunteering is vital in helping to create a healthy community and providing valuable services to Natividad Medical Center,” said Dr. Gary Gray, Chief Executive Officer of NMC. “Our dedicated volunteers provide thousands of hours of essential services to our hospital. We are extremely grateful and proud to honor our team of volunteers in tribute to National Volunteer Week and the Volunteer Auxiliary’s 57th year of service to Natividad Medical Center.”

The Volunteer Auxiliary also oversees and coordinates other important activities each year, to include concierge service to families in waiting rooms, Pet Therapy service, assistance with patient portal sign up, spiritual care, infant Cuddler Program, patient and specimen transport, staffing of the Gift Shop, clerical support for administrative offices, meal delivery to patients, guiding hospital tours, courier service within the facility, and sometimes just commiserating with patients or family members who are anxious or worried.

According to Dr. Gary Gray, Chief Executive Officer of NMC, “Volunteering is important as it helps create a healthy community. Our volunteers provide countless contributions to the hospital on a daily basis. We are undoubtedly grateful and proud to honor our team of volunteers in tribute to National Volunteer Week.”

For more information or to join the Natividad Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary, please call (831) 755-4215 or email Nathan Fuentes at fuentesnd@natividad.com.

Background on Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 132 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 34,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.