Dedicated St. John’s Hospitals Volunteers Return a Year After Pandemic

Volunteers return to hospitals after most recent surge

OXNARD, CA – April 21, 2021 – St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, members of Dignity Health, are pleased to welcome back volunteers after more than a year since pausing volunteer activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of hospital volunteers comes just in time for National Volunteer Week— April 18–24.

At St. John’s, volunteers are an integral part of the day-to-day hospital operations. This year’s National Volunteer Week is special as volunteers are welcomed back to resume responsibilities such as working in the gift shop, food pantry, spiritual care, providing administrative support, and working on special projects.

“It’s exciting to be able to come back and be of service, but it’s especially nice to see the friends and coworkers we have not been able to see during the pandemic,” says Mary Anne McCabe, volunteer at St. John’s Regional Medical Center. 

“It feels great to be back,” says St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital Volunteer Mary Fish. “It has been a long and trying year, and I know many of us are so thankful to be able to give back again.”

For everyone’s safety, volunteers have been offered the COVID-19 vaccine before their return dates. They must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and have their temperature read every day before starting their shift.

With wide varieties of work experience and education, the hospital volunteer staff compliment the various service positions and are essential to patient care. The dedicated volunteer teams have been eager to return to the hospital, where some of them dedicate up to 40 hours a week to serve their community.

About Dignity Health St. John’s Regional Medical Center

St. John’s Regional Medical Center is a 265-bed acute care, award-winning facility. Serving Ventura County for more than one hundred years, St. John’s is the first and only Certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center in Ventura County and a recipient of the American Heart Association’s, Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Designated as a STEMI Receiving Center, St. John’s is highly recognized in the community for excellence in cardiac care. Our Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and our Integrated Breast Center is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. SJRMC houses a comprehensive Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, providing specialized care to the tiniest patients as well as a Beacon Award-Winning Intensive Care Unit. Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/stjohnsregional.