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★ ★ ★ Salute to ★
★
★
★ ★ Volunteers ★ ★

JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER

Marvin Keyser Doreen Barham

For Marvin Keyser, volunteering comes from the heart. Doreen Barham has been a volunteer at North Shore Medical Center for the last
At 74, he is considered one of the most dedicated two years. She is passionate about helping women, and that is why she is a volunteer
Mended Hearts, Inc. volunteers and leaders in the organi- at the Breast Center. She wants to come and help women that come in to get their
zation’s history that serves cardiac patients directly at yearly mammograms or procedures. She assists them by helping them fill out paper-
Memorial Regional Hospital. As the nation’s largest and work, walking them through the center, serving them water or coffee. All the mem-
oldest cardiovascular support group for patients in the bers of the department respect her and enjoy seeing her smile. She looks forward to
world, this non-profit provides on-going peer-to-peer sup- volunteering at North Shore Medical Center for many more years.
port, education, and advocacy.
While he knows there’s nothing funny about open heart
surgery, that doesn’t keep him from making people laugh
about it while fulfilling an important role during the patient’s journey. In partnership with
Memorial Regional Hospital. Marvin helped develop the hospital’s cardiac discharge class HIALEAH HOSPITAL
in 2008.
If it weren’t for Mended Hearts, I would be dead,” said Keyser. “I knew this work was
for me. It is important to add humor in each class along with telling people about my Aura Marina Galicia
own cardiac problems and surgeries.”
Starting out as an optional program for cardiac patients and their caregivers, the pro- Aura Marina Galicia has been a volunteer at Hialeah
gram was so successful that the hospital made the class recommended for all of the heart Hospital for more than ten years. She is described as an
surgery patients. Marvin helps teach this class three times a week which has resulted in extremely dedicated volunteer by the members of the
patient compliance and reduction of readmissions. information technology department at Hialeah Hospital.
Aura fulfills her commitments no matter what it takes.
Her attention to detail is a big asset to the department at
the hospital. Over the last ten years she has proven to be
honest, trustworthy and a loyal person. She is very flex-
ible with her schedule and is committed to the hospital.
BROWARD HEALTH NORTH Aura is very well liked and respected by her peers. She
looks forward to more volunteering at Hialeah Hospital.

Husband-Wife Volunteer Duo

Bring New Meaning to Doing

Everything Together

Married for 39 years, Donna and Steve Constantine
have literally done everything together. They retired in
2009 and sold their house, car and other possessions to
buy a 53-foot boat to sail around the globe. Now back
in South Florida, they’re dedicating their time to volun-
teer work at Broward Health North.
“I joined Broward Health North’s Auxiliary
Department in March 2018,” said Donna, who volun-
teers two days a week in the surgical recovery room and
Diagnostic Imaging Center.
Steve, who has also been volunteering at the hospital
for one year, shares time with Donna in the surgical
recovery room, but also works in the outpatient admit- Donna Constantine
tance area. And this year, Steve has become a historian
for the Auxiliary, recording the organization’s activities
throughout the year.
“I consider my role to be anything I can do to enhance
the experience of patients, visitors, families, nurses,
doctors and any other hospital staff or volunteers who
can benefit,” Steve said. “Even if it’s seemingly insignif-
icant, I can hold a door for a team member who’s push-
ing a linen cart or just say ‘Good Morning’ to everyone
I pass.”
Donna enjoys being in the healthcare setting. Now
retired from the finance and mortgage industry, she
acknowledges that she always wanted to be a nurse.
“I love dealing with the patients and their families,
and I enjoy helping to make their time at the hospital a Steve Constantine
positive experience,” she said. “I promised myself when
I did retire that I would go and volunteer at a hospital.”
Steve said that the best part of volunteering is the gratitude he receives from each
encounter. He feels he has the freedom to do his best work without any pressure or
stress.
“I’m lucky enough to be in a position to be able to pay back a small portion of my
own good fortune in life,” he said. “I’d encourage anyone to consider volunteer work
as a way to stay active, both mentally and physically. I’ve never had a job in my life
in which I was shown so much appreciation for what I do on a daily basis. It’s far
more rewarding than I thought it would be.”

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