Jean Dorto, R.N., was only 16 years old when she first became a candy striper at a New York hospital. That was the beginning of two careers for Dorto one as a registered nurse and the second “career” as a volunteer. As a participant in the Memorial Healthcare System H.E.R.O. (Healthcare Employees Reaching Out) program, Dorto racked up more volunteer hours than any other employee for 2007.
“Im able to bring a little bit of Memorial to lots of different places,” explained Dorto, who is proud to point out that she has been the recipient of the Broward County School Boards pin for 15 years for working more than 200 volunteer hours. “I started when my daughter was in kindergarten, and shes in college now.”
Dortos school district recently asked her to lead a training program for new volunteers to teach them how to run a meeting and how to be a committee chairperson, but her volunteering extends beyond academics. In any given week, Memorial H.E.R.O.s log can show Dorto serving as an usher at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, caring for an injured pelican for the Wild Life Care Center in Ft. Lauderdale or staying up all night as a “foster” parent to puppies for the Humane Society.
“Im so glad I have the time to give back,” said Dorto. “Im not one to waste time sitting on the couch.” Her record clearly demonstrates that, showing her volunteer hours also include events like the Memorial Healthcare System Back to School Fair and the Memorial Classic Golf Tournament.
Her next goal is to get her entire Employee Health department at Memorial Regional Hospital to volunteer together at an event. She explained, “It may seem like a small thing to save one bird, care for a puppy or help someone to their seat at the theater, but if we get a lot of people doing little things we can make a big difference.”
Lisa King, Community Volunteer Coordinator, agreed. After six years of managing the H.E.R.O program, she knows that not everyone can dedicate as many volunteer hours as Jean Dorto does. However, King pointed out, that Memorial Healthcare System recognizes volunteerism of all kinds.
“Whether its volunteering at hospital sponsored events or out in the community sitting on a non-profit board of directors or as a Girl Scout leader, it doesnt matter,” King said.
The premise of the H.E.R.Os program is to match employees with volunteer opportunities and projects that meet their interests. It can be a one- time event or an ongoing commitment, according to King. For example, the program recently participated in the “Souper Bowl” one of the areas largest food drives. This year, Memorial employees donated more than 13,000 pounds of non-perishable food which were delivered to community food pantries.
As a system, nearly 2,000 employees logged nearly 5,000 volunteer hours in 2007. King said, “While most hospitals have employees who volunteer, were especially proud of our formal H.E.R.Os program which makes it easy for our staff to make a difference in the community.”
