Hospitals rebuild volunteer programs with eye on post-pandemic

Volunteering at NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island allowed Nicole Fernandes to explore her love of science. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and volunteer work went on hold, she realized it meant even more.

“I felt like I lacked purpose and that I wasn’t doing anything to help anyone,” said Fernandes, 19, a student at Stony Brook University who lives in Syosset. “It’s great to be back and feel helpful again.”

Many hospitals across Long Island have been trying to rebuild their volunteer programs after being on hold for more than a year. Some restarted last fall, but only about half of their volunteers have come back, coordinators said.

Those who have returned, however, were eager to resume their duties, which range from assisting with paperwork to comforting new patients as they enter the emergency department, working in the gift shop and accompanying patients to physical therapy sessions.

Others volunteers include trained pet therapists, who bring their furry friends to snuggle up with staff and patients. Some musicians volunteer their time and services to spread soothing music throughout the hospital corridors.

“At the end of the second wave around fall 2021, something interesting happened,” said Sadad Mohammad, director of patient care and customer experience at Huntington Hospital. “Our volunteers started giving us a call — 58 of them to be specific. They wanted to know what they could do to help.”

Mohammad said some volunteers were especially motivated because of their own experiences in the early days of the pandemic.

“A good 25% might have been patients during the first wave of COVID, and they wanted to give back,” he said. “That was the most beautiful part.”

Hospital officials said they worked hard to make sure volunteers who wanted to return were protected through the COVID-19 vaccine, personal protective equipment and other measures.

Those were some of the considerations 88-year-old George Meyer, a Glen Cove Hospital volunteer, had to discuss with his wife and family before returning. Meyer said he is thrilled to be back working with patients and staff in the physical therapy department.

“Why not do something to keep your mind active?” said Meyer, of Locust Valley. “I enjoy the atmosphere … you get a lot of satisfaction.”

Meyer’s long and varied career ranged from teaching and coaching jobs at Lindenhurst High School and North Shore High School in Glen Head to a human resources job in a private company, a workforce counselor, and a seat on the Locust Valley school board.

“It was time at age 80 to find out, ‘What are you going to do now?’ ” he recalled with a laugh. "My wife and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to volunteer?’ "

Meyer’s gentle and easy manner has allowed him to jump into several roles at the hospital, whether it’s having a friendly chat with patients at their bedside or closely following them with a wheelchair as they take their first post-operative steps in physical therapy.

In some cases, volunteers returned to hospitals last summer or fall only to be shut out again during the omicron wave in December and January, then returned again in February.

Lisa Breiman, senior director of volunteer experience at New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, estimated there were about 5,000 volunteers across Northwell's system before the start of the pandemic, and that about 2,500 have returned.

Breiman said some of the volunteers were “begging” to come back but understood why precautions had to be taken for their safety, as the highly contagious virus raged through communities.

“The ones who returned were so connected,” she said. “For some of them, it gave them a reason to get up in the morning. There is a special kind of caring and compassion that they have.”

A 'crucial' part of his life

Volunteers at hospitals in the Catholic Health system also participate in a range of activities, such as serving as greeters at the front entrance, checking temperatures of visitors and escorting patients to their rides after being discharged, officials said.

Dean Tveter said he considers his volunteer work at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside a “crucial” part of his life.

The 18-year-old Oceanside High School senior started volunteering at age 14, when he thought he might seek a career as a doctor. Instead, he decided to pursue a nursing career at Molloy College.

“Being here changed that,” he said. “Nurses really get to spend time with the patients.”

Tveter said one of his favorite volunteer jobs is spending time with patients who may not have family available or anyone to talk to.

“He’s just extraordinary,” said Anne Fernandez, director of development and volunteer services at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “He reached out every week during the pandemic.”

High school students and college students make up an important part of the hospital volunteer core.

“The high schoolers were coming in herds. We had to cap it for a while,” said Maria Robayo, head of the volunteer program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. “They are all ready for the summer.”

The passion Nicole Fernandes has about volunteering at NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island has an influence on her younger brother, Neil, who is following in her footsteps. Neil is interested in becoming a pharmacist, while Nicole is pursuing a future in child psychology with a focus on kids with autism.

“He watched me volunteer and come home with stories, and he wanted to be involved as well,” Nicole Fernandes said.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.