Borough Park

Maimonides Medical Center pays tribute to volunteers

McCray tells hospital helpers ‘You have a positive impact’

July 6, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Douglas Jablon, senior vice president of Patient Relations; Alla Zats, director of Volunteer and Student Services; First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray; President and CEO Kenneth D. Gibbs; and Executive Vice President and COO Dominick Stanzione (left to right) all praised the work done by volunteers. Photos courtesy of Maimonides Medical Center
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The work done by people volunteering their time in the city’s hospitals makes a big difference in the lives of patients, according to New York’s first lady Chirlane McCray who told guests at a Maimonides Medical Center luncheon that volunteers are vital.

 “You have a positive impact on families and patients every day and it truly matters,” McCray, the wife of Mayor Bill de Blasio, told hundreds of volunteers who attended the recent Maimonides Medical Center’s Recognition Ceremony and Luncheon at Paradise Manor in Borough Park.

The luncheon was held to pay tribute the hospital’s 1,911 volunteers. In 2016, the volunteers logged 257,000 hours of service to the medical center, according to hospital officials.

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“We’re inspired by your selflessness and deeply indebted to each one of you. You make our hospital a better place for patients and staff,” Kenneth D. Gibbs, president and CEO of Maimonides Medical Center, told the volunteers.

Maimonides Medical Center, a 711 hospital located at 4802 10th Ave. in Borough Park, is both a treatment facility and academic medical. The hospital also has a pediatric trauma center.

Alla Zats, director of Volunteer and Student Services at the hospital, said the volunteers come from various backgrounds. “Maimonides volunteers range in age from 14 to 95, and come from all over the world. They share their talents with others in need, and help us provide patients with ‘the best care, right here,’” she said. 

Douglas Jablon, senior vice president for Patient Relations, said the Recognition Ceremony was a big success. “We honored Mrs. Shyfra Scharf, our volunteer for over 40 years. Mrs. Scharf started the Pesha Elias Bikur Cholim D’Bobov organization, whose volunteers have been visiting patients in the hospital and assisting in the emergency room for over three decades,” he said. 

Councilmember David G. Greenfield (D-Borough Park-Midwood-Bensonhurst) also spoke at the luncheon, thanking the volunteers for their tireless efforts. 

The celebration included a video featuring volunteers assisting with foreign language interpretation, administrative tasks, supportive services and recreational activities for patients.

 

For more information on how to become a volunteer at Maimonides Medical Center, visit health.maimonidesmed.org/Main/Volunteer.aspx.


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