A Tale of Two Cedars-Sinai Volunteers

Katherine Chua has less than a year of medical school under her belt, but she's drawing from years of hands-on experience in healthcare as she studies at the University of California, San Francisco. In fact, she's been laying the groundwork to become a doctor since 2017.

The then-teenager began volunteering on Saturdays at Cedars-Sinai. The four-hour shifts took away from the high-achiever's rare downtime-especially with her demanding college schedule-but it never felt like much of a sacrifice to Chua. "I loved coming to volunteer," she said. "I really enjoyed the connections I had with the nursing staff, but also the patients."

Then in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Health and safety mandates called for all volunteers to stop reporting in-person until further notice. Although those restrictions were lifted soon after the COVID-19 vaccines became widely available, only about 20% of volunteers who served before the pandemic, returned. The workforce is now largely composed of newer volunteers.

Michele Prince, director of Volunteer Servicesat Cedars-Sinai, says this fall and winter, her team hopes to build back the medical center's volunteer ranks. Her optimism stems from seeing more Angelenos increase their social activities, and she hopes that translates to a boost in volunteerism.

"Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and help your community," Prince said. "Whether you want to play a musical instrument for our patients or help patient care professionals, our team loves to find that perfect fit for both the volunteer and for Cedars-Sinai."

The greatest need for volunteers is on weekday mornings, though most time preferences can be accommodated. Prince's team works to match volunteers of all ages-including high school and college students-to roles that meet their interests and complement their career paths.

"Cedars-Sinai felt the absence of our volunteers during the early days of the pandemic, and we were, and continue to be, so grateful to those who have returned," Prince said.

Chua was part of that small group of returning volunteers and, as she finished college and began applying to medical school, she realized how much she had learned. Through the volunteer program, she was able to observe procedures, check patient and visitor temperatures, accompany nurses as they made rounds and keep cancer patients company with a friendly game of cards.

The hands-on training in patient areas worked to Chua's advantage on med school applications. Her move to San Francisco meant bracing herself to say goodbye to the Cedars-Sinai staff members who had nurtured her scientific spark and the patients who reinforced the reasons she wanted to become a doctor.

"It's been an extreme privilege to volunteer, and I'm so grateful for the experience," Chua said. "I enjoyed learning about patient care from the oncology medical staff most of all, and seeing how they build relationships with patients and their loved ones."

Leslie Maisel, a retiree, felt that same kind of gratitude when she and her 9-year-old standard poodle, Gracie, were able to return to the POOCH (Pets Offering Ongoing Care and Healing) Program.

Maisel's history with Cedars-Sinai dates back to the day her late mother, Zoe Maisel, delivered her at the former Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. Her late father, Milton Maisel, MD, was a contracted oral surgeon at the hospital for four decades, starting in the 1960s. Her late grandmother, Esther Swartz, volunteered in the 1950s.

Maisel and Gracie resumed their two-hour shifts once pandemic restrictions were eased, to again bring comfort, joy and healing to patients. "There have been instances where Gracie sat on a patient's bed and I've watched their blood pressure drop to a healthier level," said Maisel, who began volunteering in 2018.

"We're fortunate to see, firsthand, the incredible impact of our volunteers-both in uplifting our patients and lending a hand with day-to-day tasks," said Sheila Quintana, program administrator for Volunteer Services. "Both Leslie and Katherine have made such a difference through their commitments."

Click herefor information on how to sign up for the Cedars-Sinai Volunteer Services program.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Volunteering at Cedars-Sinai-Always Needed, Always Valued

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.