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Judging by the sheer volume of his work at Norwalk Hospital, there might be more than one Ron Lampel. It seems he does just about everything short of operating on patients.
On the last Wednesday of every month he oversees an enormous book sale in the hospital's lobby to benefit patient services. If that wasn't enough, hes a volunteer ambassador for the hospital and the president of the non-profit Norwalk Hospital Volunteers.
Volunteer ambassadors are a critical component in making a patient's stay in the hospital as easy and stress-free as possible. "We try to visit every patient on the unit we are assigned and see how we can make their stay more comfortable," Ron said. By listening to patients, volunteers help implement improvements from feedback they share with hospital staff members.
Ron is also a pet therapy volunteer and in that role he has brought reluctant smiles to many unhappy patients. He recalled an extremely ill patient who had been in low spirits for the two weeks she was in intensive care. When she saw the pet therapy dog, "she smiled ear to ear and invited everyone to join her in her room."
Ron said volunteering is rewarding because it makes a difference to peoples' lives. "I joined the volunteers at the advice of my doctor, who encouraged me to get involved for my health and well-being," he said. "It's been so good for me that I would recommend volunteering to anyone who wants to be buoyed up by making a positive difference to others."
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