Westside Regional Volunteers are the Heart of Our Community

Our Volunteer Auxiliary dedication and commitment to providing exceptional service and kindness to our community extends beyond the inside of our hospital. For example the auxiliary has been an active sponsoring in partnering with the hospital as a Signature Sponsor of the American Cancer Society Plantation Relay for Life for the past 10 years. For the past four years two of our Auxilians, Sandy Kirschner and Marcia Noble have served and continue to serve on the Plantation Relay for Life Committee and are the co-captains of the hospital team. Last year they were recognized for their 100% attendance at all of the committee and team captain meetings. They have devoted hours of service to this worthy cause and are credited with leading the charge at the hospital for all the Relay fundraising activities, from bake sale to jewelry fairs.

(l-r) Sandy Kirschner and Marcia Noble.

“I believe in what the American Cancer Society does,” says Kirschner. “Everyone should experience Relay. It is the only event that can be inspirational, moving and fun all at the same time” says Noble. The Relay honors cancer survivorship and remembers those that have lost the battle. Their participation in this community event is only a part of what these women do as hospital volunteers. They also serve in leadership roles as Auxiliary VP (Kirschner) and Corresponding Secretary (Noble). Kirschner has served as a volunteer at Westside for over 8 years in the Outpatient and Guest Relations Departments. She is the 2006 recipient of the HCA Frist Humanitarian Award which recognizes community service and going above a beyond in doing for others. Noble has served as a volunteer for over 6 years in the Medical Staff and Guest Relations Departments.

These women serve as role models through their words and deeds. Their selfless acts of kindness and their positive infectious spirit are only overshadowed by their modesty and humility. They have touched so many people’s lives and deserved to be recognized.

Ilexis Mazer, Junior Volunteer
Westside’s Shining Star

Fifteen year old Ilexis”Lexie” Mazer joined Westside Regional Medical Center’s as soon as she was old enough to become a hospital volunteer. Yes, she had to fulfill her community service requirement for school but more importantly, she had aspiration of one day becoming a doctor and this would be a first step for her. Lexie decided to become a volunteer transporter as that would afford her the opportunity to circulate through the hospital and spend time with the patients. Lexie began to “visit” the patients especially the older patients who seemed to have no visitors. The more time she spent interacting with the patients the more compelled she felt that “she” could do something to make a difference in their hospital stay.

Lexie created the Teen Loving Care (TLC) program. Under her leadership the program was piloted and then rolled out last spring. This program provides an immeasurable service to our patients. Lexie dresses up a cart and takes it floor to floor and patient to patient. What’s on the cart you ask? It varies from week to week as Lexie has made this a school project (she is a sophomore at the University Schoolof NSU). She singlehandly has recruited fellow classmates to ask for donations of toiletry items, magazines, cards, crossword puzzle books and the like and she personally brings in treats (sweets and sugar free) and merrily goes on her way. Lexie has also trained other juniors so that this service is offered every weekend. Patients in the hospital during the holidays can look forward to some extra special that Lexie makes for them. This program is a true labor of love for this exceptional, beautiful young lady who will one day become an exceptional compassionate physician.