JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, (April 27, 2021) -- Brooke Army Medical Center celebrated its 275 volunteers during a ceremony held April 21 to name the BAMC Volunteers of the Year. The ceremony was held in conjunction with National Volunteer Week, April 18-24.
“Over the last year, we asked many of our volunteers not to come in to preserve their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said BAMC Commanding General Brig. Gen. Shan Bagby.
Because of the COVID-19 safety protocols, many volunteers weren’t able to serve in their normal capacity and BAMC’s annual Volunteer Recognition ceremony wasn’t held in 2019. So this year, BAMC recognized the volunteers for both 2019 and 2020.
“Our volunteers are critical members of Team BAMC in the accomplishment of our mission,” the general said. “They serve throughout the hospital and outlying clinics in every aspect of patient care. Many have military ties of some kind while others are community members with a strong desire to give back.”
Several volunteer groups offer support to BAMC, including the American Red Cross, BAMC Retiree Activities Group, BAMC Fisher House and Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care. Since the Volunteer Services Department began tracking this program in 1994, volunteers have given more than 300,000 hours of their time.
“That speaks volumes about their selflessness of service,” Bagby said. “They give their time freely because they believe in our mission of protecting the nation by ensuring total force readiness through innovative, high quality care and the development of elite healthcare professionals.”
This year, five individuals were recognized with the President’s Volunteer Service Award for serving more than 4,000 hours of volunteering at BAMC. Victor Lopez, Mary Jo Hammond, and Mary Harper, all work at the Medical Mall Information Desk as greeters; while Holly Smith and Joan York are both BAMC Fisher House volunteers.
2019 Selectees were:
BRAG Volunteer of the Year- Lucy Casanova (Interventional Radiology)
Red Cross Volunteer of the year- Mike Pomeroy (Burn Intensive Care Unit greeter)
Ministry Volunteer of the Year- James Shumate (Post-anesthesia Care Unit greeter)
Fisher House Volunteer of the Year- Roddray Walker (greeter/photographer)
Auxiliary Volunteer of the Year- Sarah Kelly (president of the BAMC Auxiliary)
Office of Volunteer Services Volunteer of the Year- Carol Ann Hancock (Burn ICU greeter)
Teen Volunteer of the Year- Natasha Terrones (Pediatric Hematology Oncology)
Group of the Year- Fisher House Volunteers
Family of the Year- Carl and Rieko Johnson (PACU greeters)
Volunteer Excellence Award- Shirley Adcock
2020 selectees for BAMC Volunteer of the Year are:
Retired Maj. Gen. Barbara Holcomb (Emergency Department nurse)
Samanda Bryant-Hagan (social worker)
Dr. Anthony Cox (social worker)
Dr. Ramon Arroyo-Padro (Rheumatology physician)
Dr. Jay Higgs (Rheumatology physician)
Group of the Year- Caremobile Drivers
“Your efforts save lives,” Bagby told the volunteers. “Your efforts keep our nation’s heroes safe and ready to go do the job when called upon to do it. Speaking on behalf of the hospital staff, and certainly our patients, I would like to say a very sincere thank you to each and every one of you.”
To watch BAMC’s Volunteer Recognition Ceremony:
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