An Air Force veteran from Sherwood spends four hours per day, five days a week volunteering at Veterans Affairs hospitals.
Margaret Robinson, named the 2014 volunteer of the year for the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, has volunteered at the Little Rock or North Little Rock hospitals for more than a year, decorating for events, going on coffee runs and interacting with patients -- "whatever is needed," she said.
"Just today, one of the veterans was discharged from the hospital," Robinson said Thursday. "He reached out and said, 'I thank you for volunteering and helping support me. For just being there.' That's a warm fuzzy you get that money cannot cover."
As part of a Veterans Affairs-wide initiative called "Summer of Service," the two VA systems in Arkansas are hoping to gain more volunteers like the 61-year-old Robinson and educate the public about their services.
The months-long initiative is an effort to "rebuild trust," said Patricia Hill, spokesman for the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. It's also a way for the VA to recruit help in bettering its service to veterans.
After investigators discovered that systemic failures were leading to delayed care for patients, Congress passed a $16.3 billion overhaul of the VA. According to a news release, the VA has completed 46 million appointments in the past year, which it says is 2 million more than in the previous year.
"VA is renewing our commitment to America's veterans, and we're asking for help with that," Hill said. "We recognize there is more work to do to serve veterans. But we are embracing our challenges and overcoming them."
Michael Dobbs, who heads the voluntary services area of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, said 999 people -- 417 who volunteered regularly -- contributed approximately 55,000 volunteer hours in fiscal 2014 at the system's two hospitals and eight community-based outpatient clinics.
The goal through Summer of Service is to increase the number of volunteers and all volunteer hours by 20 percent by the end of fiscal 2015. That would bring the central Arkansas system to almost 1,200 volunteers working 66,000 hours.
At the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, which includes a hospital in Fayetteville and a total of six community-based outpatient clinics in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, volunteers worked more than 59,000 hours in fiscal 2014.
"That's a lot, but we need more," said Sarah McBride, spokesman for Ozarks system. "We need a lot more."
The VA systems are increasing their recruiting efforts this summer and hosting groups from churches and businesses to complete special projects.
Both systems also will soon host open houses, during which veterans, the state's congressional delegation and community members will be invited to learn about VA services and opportunities to volunteer.
An open house will be held July 1 at the Fayetteville VA hospital. The central Arkansas system will hold open houses at John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock and at its eight clinics at the end of June or early July, Hill said.
Another goal of the Summer of Service is to hire more medical personnel.
Over the past year, the VA reported hiring approximately 11,000 employees nationwide. It still needs more health care providers, claims specialists, medical support assistants and cemetery directors.
McBride said the Ozarks system has openings for overnight physicians and specialists, including ophthalmologists, urologists and psychiatrists.
Human-resources representatives will be available at all of the state's open houses to answer questions from prospective employees.
"We need more help," Hill said. "The facilities are growing, more veterans are requesting service -- that impacts everything we do."
Volunteers can augment the staff, Dobbs said, by transporting veterans from one part of the hospital to another; attending to veterans and family members in surgical waiting rooms; making reminder phone calls; and acting as assistant clerks -- areas where Robinson could be asked to help out on any given day.
"I wish everyone could come in and just volunteer, just for an hour, to see how rewarding it is," Robinson said. "It's giving back. And it's needed."
Metro on 06/14/2015