Celebrating its 65th year of existence this year, the volunteer auxiliary program at Baptist has made a profound impact.
A few years ago, Mike Baumgardner was getting ready for work when he felt a terrible pain in his chest. “I got dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. That lasted about a minute, then I walked from the bedroom to the living room when my legs stopped working,” Mike says. Thinking he might be having a heart attack, he went to the emergency room.
Mike was transferred to INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center when it was discovered that he was suffering from an aortic dissection. “Dr. Vanhooser and his amazing team jumped into action and saved my life,” he says. Mike then began working with Jered Cook, M.D., at INTEGRIS Health Cardiovascular Physicians Cardiology Clinic. “Dr. Cook got me back on my feet and recovering fully. Without the doctors at INTEGRIS Health, I would not have survived!”
After his experience, Mike decided to join the volunteer auxiliary program at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center. Volunteers come from a diverse mix of backgrounds, experiences and skills to give back to the communities they serve. And for many like Mike, the reason they began volunteering is from a place of deep gratitude for the care they received in their worst moments.
Celebrating its 65th year of existence this year, the volunteer auxiliary program at Baptist has made a profound impact.
The impact of volunteering over 65 years
How to become a volunteer
There are lots of opportunities to get involved. According to Karli Stroh, the system director of volunteer services at INTEGRIS Health, there are many ways to get started.
“There’s so many different service areas and passions to volunteer your time to,” Karli says. “If you don’t find something that you love the first time, you can try something else. With more than 20 service areas, there’s going to be an opportunity that will fit your interests. We want each volunteer to have the opportunity to put a personal fingerprint on volunteer service to our hospitals.”
If you are interested in becoming an INTEGRIS Health volunteer, please visit integrishealth.org/volunteer or call Volunteer Services at 405-949-3183.
For Mike, volunteering is now an important part of his life. “It only seemed fitting to come back and volunteer so I can share my story and mentor those going through similar procedures. I’m excited to get to help people and see what the future holds!”
