One for the record books: 1,232 volunteers worked 100,000 hours at NYM

May 10, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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Who doesn’t give a damn?!

Volunteers — 1,232 of them — lavished almost 100,000 hours of their time helping out at Park Slope’s New York Methodist Hospital (NYM) last year, including over 40,000 hours in direct contact with patients.

The legion of altruists broke the previous year’s record for number of volunteers, and NYM President and CEO Mark J. Mundy praised them at a recognition ceremony.

“Being a volunteer here goes above and beyond the call of duty,” he said. “That you’ve chosen to dedicate yourselves to New York Methodist speaks to that inner core, to that sense of self, and to what life is all about.”

The ceremony’s theme was “A World of Diversity: One Purpose.” It emphasized the broad range of experiences the volunteers — who collectively speak over 26 languages and dialects — brought to the hospital.

Those interested in volunteer opportunities at the hospital can apply at http://www.nym.org/get-involved by selecting “Volunteer” on the left side of the page.

Following are the volunteers who were honored at the ceremony:

â¨The Partners in Nursing Award was presented by Joann Amitrano, R.N., and Kathleen Treacy, R.N., vice presidents for nursing at NYM, to Mona Afable. Ms. Afable, a Bedford-Stuyvesant resident, is a former ballerina and future R.N., and discovered that nursing was her true calling through years of volunteering at New York Methodist.

The Community Spirit Award was presented by Steven Silber, D.O., vice president for medical affairs, to Nicole Sciarrillo. Ms. Sciarrillo, who lives in Carroll Gardens, was instrumental in expanding NYM’s Sparks of Life program, which seeks to brighten a patient’s day by bringing musicians, singers, magicians, yoga instructors, puppeteers and other artists to volunteer their time and talents at NYM.

The Extraordinary Commitment Award was presented by Colleen McManus, vice president, to Mindy Dowd. Ms. Dowd lives in Kensington, and has given over 800 hours of her time to NYM since 2009, volunteering in multiple departments.

The New York Methodist Medical Board Award for Volunteer Impact was presented by Emil Baccash, M.D., medical board president, to Zoya Grigoryan, Tahreem Javed, Elizabeth Ceci and Liza Cervantes, all volunteers in NYM’s Health Literacy program. They reside on the Upper West Side, Flatbush, Bensonhurst and Greenpoint respectively, and as volunteers, present health-related information in various NYM waiting rooms, empowering patients to manage their health in a more informed way.

The Emergency Room Award for Excellence was presented by Michael McDougall, R.N., emergency department nurse manager, to Anna Biele Fischer, a Windsor Terrace resident. As a volunteer in NYM’s Project Contact program, Ms. Fisher supported the Emergency Department team, and credits the program with solidifying her decision to pursue a career in medicine.

The New York Methodist Auxiliary Award for Outstanding Service by a High School Student was presented by Joan DePrizio, president of the auxiliary, to Mohammed Sadic. Mr. Sadic, a Brooklyn Tech student, lives in Kensington and stood out at NYM with his unforgettable conversations and moments with many patients and professional staff.