2025-26 LMH Health Volunteers Annual Report

LMH Health

Volunteers Mission

The LMH Health Volunteers Organization shall assist and support LMH Health and its patients, staff, physicians, and visitors in providing support for the delivery of quality healthcare in accordance with the objectives established by the institution The LMH Health Volunteers Organization shall be an integral part of LMH Health and shall exist exclusively for charitable purposes

LMH Health VolunteersVisionStatement

Serving together to support quality healthcare in our community.

2025-2026 LMH Health V l t

B d Membership

Summary of Year - 2025 Highlights & Accomplishments

January 2025

SNOWmageddon hit Lawrence on January 6th We had to cancel volunteer support because of the 12+ inches of snow!

The Gift Shop wrote the final 2024 quarterly payment to the Foundation meeting the goal of giving $30,252 00

The Volunteer Board approved to spend $24,069 00 from the fund designated for the LMH Volunteers for the build and purchase of a new counter and countertop in the Gift Shop.

Volunteer support in the Emergency Department Is put on pause for the month of January A plan was developed on how to better train and support volunteers

Nicole was accepted into Fellowship and will be participating in learning more about the LMH Health organization

Progress on the renovation of the Cancer Center continues It’s slated to open in the summer

February 2025

The old counter and countertop has been dismantled and removed from the Gift Shop Folding tables are being used as a temporary place to check customers out

Gene Ozbun is hired as one of our new valet attendants! He will work the 1:00 - 4:30 pm shift

Monday - Friday

We have officially welcomed therapy dogs back to LMH! The dogs and their handlers are on-boarded as volunteers

Gift Shop Manager Cindy will officially be going part time starting March 3rd She’ll retain the role as manager and work 24 hours each week A coordinator will be hired to supplement the difference In hours

March 2025

Robin Gaschler has been hired as the part-time coordinator for the Gift Shop She will work 16 hours a week to compliment Cindy’s 24 hours as Gift Shop manager

Nicole and Shane gave comprehensive tours of the main campus to the KU Architecture classes on March 6

The marketing team from Newman Regional Health in Emporia came to tour LMH - Shane met with the team to talk about our robust volunteer program

The first part of the new counter and counter top arrived in the Gift Shop on Monday, March 10

The 2025 Volunteers of the Year were announced which include: Dawson Jones (college student), Mridula Boopeshkumar (high school student), and Mary Freeman (adult) Justus McCullough is announced as our Mentor of the Year award winner

April 2025

Gift Shop - The new surveillance cameras were installed, the new sign for the counter top was installed by Fast Signs, and new LED lights were installed to showcase the new sign! A re-open house is planned for Wednesday, June 4

Summary of Year - 2025 Highlights & Accomplishments

Robin Gaschler, Mary Higgins, and Tony Regalado stay up late for the first Late Night of the year!

Late Night is in coordination with Koffee Korner’s Late Night - staying open the fourth Thursday of the month from 10 pm - 1 am for primarily the staff that work over night

May 2025

The Volunteer Services hosted a Scrub Sale at the West Campus on Friday, May 2, 10 am - 2 pm

Scrub Hub brought their showcase trailer and set up in the parking lot of the West Campus In total, about $625 00 was raised to support scholarships for students majoring in health care

The summer schedule for students started on Sunday, May 19 While we welcome high school students year round, many of them primarily volunteer during the summer.

We welcomed a new therapy dog volunteer, Rylee! She will be accompanied by her handler, Donna That brings us up to four therapy dogs that visits the LMH Campus

At the LMH Foundation Scholarship Reception the following volunteers were recognized and will be receiving scholarships from the Foundation and the Volunteer organization: Sylvia Oparaji, Ayesha Dunlap, Marlena Zuo, Shelby Casey, Arianna Siddique and Kristina Sim

The Annual Meeting was on Wednesday, April 23 at Arterra Gallery Space We had over 85 attendees! Guest speakers included Rebecca Smith, VP Strategy/Communications & Foundation Executive Direct and Sheryle D’Amico, SVP Strategic Integration Student volunteers and adult volunteers of the year, along with Mentor of the year were awarded

June 2025

The Gift Shop celebrated with a Grand Re-Opening ribbon cutting sponsored by the Lawrence Chamber on Wednesday, June 4 CEO Russ Johnson gave accolades along with a representative from the Chamber, Secily Rees Over $2,000 worth of inventory was donated by the Gift Shop’s vendors that totaled to 55 prizes given away! Tables of prizes lined the foyer area right outside the Gift Shop Gift Shop Manager Cindy Kruger found great KU signs to sell for only $10! Right outside the Gift Shop were free food samples for customers that featured dips, sauces and cookie mixes that are sold in the shop

To make this celebration extra special, anyone that showed a volunteer that they voted for the Gift Shop in the Best of Lawrence competition received 20% off their purchase th

On Thursday, July 19 the LMH Health Foundation hosted a ‘sneak peak’ for VIP stakeholders that made the Cancer Center possible Cancer Center volunteers were invited to help with tours Special thanks to Martha Dorssom, Jan Pollard, Tristan Willson, Lauren Reimer, Mike Lawrence, Shari Raybern, Nanette Fritschmann, Bridget Andrew and Dawson Jones who helped make the tours possible

Summary of Year - 2025 Highlights & Accomplishments

June 2025 (continued)

Picture on the left features Diana Swafford (left) and Linda Wilhite (right) taking a quick pose at the new counter tops In the Gift Shop while helping a customer during the Grand ReOpening Open House Picture to the right features Shelley Dougherty encouraging visitors to enter the raffle of over 55 prizes at the Open House!

The recipients for The Wallace May Quarterly Volunteer (Q2) of 2025 include: Caroline Trowbridge (left)Caroline volunteers at the Information Desk on Thursdays Admissions representative Dana Tharp nominated Caroline and presented her the award Tucker Wagner (bottom)Tucker volunteers with Environmental Services four days a week EVS supervisor Lori Randel and Governance Committee chair Ryan Farley present Tucker with his award

July 2025

Leadership Academy students got to shadow volunteers in several different departments on Wednesday, July 9 Right after their shadowing experience, Nicole Olson gave a short presentation about our volunteer program and students got to reflect on their experiences and how critical volunteer support is V.S. Supervisor, Nicole Olson, is selected as the LMH staff member to apply for the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Lawrence program If chosen, LMH will pay for her tuition fees Volunteer Services is now officially over the shadowing program here at LMH This will streamline and prioritize student volunteers who need shadowing hours

The Gift Shop Sidewalk Sale was a complete success! It was open Thursday night 7/24 from 10pm - 1am for the overnight staff The sale was continued the next day from 9am - 5pm The sale featured seasonal merchandise that was 50% off and earned $5,796 00!

KU students have returned! Returning and new college students have started in clinical spaces High school students that have availability will continue to volunteer during the semester Project SEARCH now integrates their interns through the LMH Health Volunteers program!

Summary of Year - 2025 Highlights & Accomplishments

August 2025 (continued)

The Gift Shop had their annual volunteer meeting Cindy, Gift Shop and Volunteer Staff highlighted major successes so far in the year and reviewed policies and procedures

Russ Johnson, LMH Health CEO/President officially retired August 29, serving 9 years to our organization, and 41 years in healthcare

September 2025

October 2025

The LMH Health Volunteer Board met on Wednesday, September 10 at the LMH Health Foundation

The Gift Shop had a special KC/KU/KSU sweater sale for staff They received over 250 orders!

Shane participated in the Senior Resource Center Volunteer Expo to represent the LMH Health Volunteers on September 16 from 10 am - 1 pm that was held at the Douglas County Fairgrounds th LMH Health Fair was on September 6 and we had several volunteers that helped with this event This year all volunteers received the all-coveted tie-dye LMH t-shirt!

Gift Shop staff and LMH accounting team met to discuss streamlining payroll deduct Welcomed changes will be happening at the beginning of 2026!

Starting October 1, the Gift Shop officially expanded hours! Instead of 10 am - 4 pm, it will be open 9 am - 4 pm

Volunteer Services hosted a flu vaccine clinic for volunteers who needed a flu shot Approximately 60 volunteers took advantage of this opportunity

Late Night at the Gift Shop was a success! Not only was Koffee Korner open, but HR and Employee Health hosted a table in the foyer area to explain benefits for the start of the new year and gave flu shots to staff who still needed it.

Volunteer Governance Committee met on Monday, October 13

To celebrate LMH’s 5-star rating by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid), any staff member or volunteer that wanted a free LMH shirt could order one! Volunteers helped organize and deliver over 1,000 shirts to the entire LMH organization!

Summary of Year - 2025 Highlights & Accomplishments

November 2025

The LMH Volunteer Finance committee met on November 6 and the Volunteer Executive Board met on November 12 The main point of discussion at both meetings pertained to the priorities of the Volunteer fund at the LMH Foundation

The new President/CEO of LMH Health, Dr Kortkamp started on November 10. The Gift Shop had a very special Late Night on Thanksgiving this year and made $250!

December 2025

The Gift Shop successfully raised $30,252 00 that will be donated to the LMH Health Foundation to support LMH Health initiatives

Holiday Plant Sale was a complete success! $2,214 50 was raised to support local student scholarships

The Gift Shop once again brought back Plinko Days including Late Night (open 10 pm - 1 am) so customers could play Plinko for their discount20%, 25%, or 30%!

The Volunteer Governance committee met December 15 to select the Wallace May Quarterly Award winners for 2025 Q4 and 2026 Q1

BONUS for 2025!

Starting on October 1, the Gift Shop is open one hour earlier, 9 am instead of 10 am. The extra hour of being open has resulted in an additional $11,16200 in sales for 2025! Thank you, Gift Shop volunteers, for making this happen!

Summary of Gift Shop 2025

January Cardiac Chiefs shirts to staff

March 27 Late Night: 10pm - 1am

April 12 Mammography Event @ West Campus

May 8-9 Mother’s Day $10 & Under Sale

June 4 Grand Re-Opening and Best of Lawrence Voting

July 9-11 Summer Blowout Sale

July 24 Sidewalk Sale & Late Night

August 18-22 Fan Frenzy

September 4 #1 Gift Shop - Best of Lawrence Flash Sale

September Flower Chiefs, KU & KSU Sweatshirts Special Order

October 8 Welcome to Fall Sale

October 23 Late Night: 10pm - 1am

November 6 Christmas Open House

December 2 Christmas Plant Sale - 25% off Coupon

December

The Gift Shop received a refresh! The tall, wooden counter top was replaced with an ADA accessible counter AND four new security cameras were installed to help improve store operations and to protect volunteers and customers

Financials

Gift Shop | Mario’s Closet | LMH Health Volunteers combined

The fiscal year runs from February 1 to January 31 each year. To align the Gift Shop budget with LMH and the Foundation, the 2025 budget was an eleven month budget. In 2026, the Gift Shop will return to a twelve month budget (January 1 through December 31)

The ‘Total Profit’ from the LMH Health Gift Shop and Mario’s Closet is used to reimburse the salaries of the Gift Shop employees, fund the primary gift given to the hospital each year, and support gift shop annual budget. Continued support of the retail shops at LMH Health directly supports new technology, patient access and care, and expansion projects.

Financial Gifts to the LMH Health Foundation

The LMH Health Volunteers Board received a presentation from Rebecca Smith, LMH Health Foundation CEO and Vice President of Strategy and Communications, regarding the conversion of the Volunteers’ annual gift of $30,252 00 into an endowment fund As part of this proposal, the remaining balance of the pledge for Patient Outcomes Initiatives for Technology would be forgiven The Board voted in January to approve and accept this arrangement Moving forward, any pledge set by the board will not surpass a two-year time frame

The Gift Shop was able to give $30,252 towards the Foundation pledge In 2024 This was made In quarterly installments to help break up the donation over the course of the year like in 2023 To date, $85,004 82 has been raised of the $250,000 goal, which leaves $164,995 18 The pledge towards Patient Outcomes Initiative for Technology is estimated to be completed in 2031

The Gift Shop was able to give $34,500 towards the Foundation pledge in 2023 This was made in quarterly installments to help break up the donation over the course of the year Those installments were paid in April, September, and November to the LMH Health Volunteers, who then paid the Foundation The overall timeline to pay this pledge back will likely surpass the original five-year goal The Foundation has assured the LMH Health Volunteers Board that extending the payment timeline is acceptable and does not pose any issue for them or for us

Marguerite Lockwood Volunteer of the Year Award

Marguerite Lockwood was one of the founding members of the LMH Auxiliary She was a long-time volunteer up until her death in 2002 Marguerite was know for her dedication to Same Day Surgery where she was assigned. She was professional and a member of the department. Selection for this award is based on ongoing commitment to volunteering at LMH, maintaining high standards as a volunteer and dedication to their service area

Lynne Starnes

LMH Health Volunteers is proud to recognize Lynne Starnes as our Volunteer of the Year, honoring her outstanding service, dedication, and compassion for our patients and visitors Lynne has been a valued volunteer with LMH Health since September 2017, consistently demonstrating a heartfelt commitment to making every person feel welcomed and cared for from the moment they walk through our doors

Throughout her tenure, Lynne has served in both escort and wayfinder roles, always offering a reassuring presence and a kind smile Her ability to calmly assist patients and families as they navigate our campus has been an invaluable part of the volunteer experience at LMH Health

When the Cancer Center opened its newly renovated space last summer, Lynne stepped into a new role as a lobby greeter, where she now volunteers on Tuesday and Friday afternoons In this role, Lynne truly shines The clinic support specialists in the Cancer Center consistently rave about her exceptional attentiveness and the genuine care she shows to every patient and visitor she greets

Lynne Starnes exemplifies what it means to be an LMH Health volunteer Her kindness, creativity, and unwavering dedication make her truly deserving of the Volunteer of the Year recognition

2004 Bea Carlson & Reathyl Brummett

2005 Barbara Huyser and Levi Daniels

2006 Gaye Groene & Martha Jane Kukuk

2007 Jackie Shmalberg

2008 Mary Lou Holcomb

2009 Beverly Van Dyke & Wallace May

2010 Madge Compton

2011 Geneva Pohl

2012 Lorna Allen

2013 Marge Haney & Shirley Anderson

2014 Helen Cobb & Lew Nolan

2015 Julie Hack and Dorothy Miller

2016 Marian Wilbur & Alan Fisher

2017 Paula Carlson

2018 Charlyne Michnick

2019 Dianna Nelson

2020 Bob Williams

2022 Jan Pollard & Michael Miller

2023 Ellen Neis & Proctor Crow

2024 Christine Halbert & Marolyn Anderson

2025 Mary Freeman

Ryan Kanost Student Volunteer of the Year Awards

This award is to recognize students who have demonstrated exemplary service to the hospital during their time as a volunteer It is named after a former LMH student volunteer, Ryan Kanost, who passed away in September 2006 The award honors Ryan’s spirit of volunteerism: his positive attitude, willingness to help, and appetite to learn.

Lauren Reimer

Lauren started with Volunteer Services in March of 2024 and has given over 275 hours of service - 240 of those hours helping the team in the Cancer Center (in all three locations during the remodel!) Time and time again, Lauren has demonstrated that she is truly an asset to the team in the Cancer Center and quickly became someone the staff could rely on to do the work correctly and efficiently

Volunteers who have worked with Lauren had this to say: "Lauren has been a true joy to work with this past year She is a self-starter and a go-getter Never do I have to point out something that needs doing Lauren is always polite and courteous to patients and greets them with a smile She will be truly missed when she goes on to med school but we are so proud of all that she has accomplished and will accomplish as a physician Someday, some very lucky people will be able to call her Dr Reimer!"

Jeremiah Whitson PastAwardWinners

2008 Todd Crawford

Jeremiah joined the Volunteer Services program in September 2024, already giving over 380 hours of service and volunteering exclusively with the Radiology team at OrthoKS Jeremiah represents the epitome of the incredible impact volunteers have on an organization and its people Shortly after he finished his initial training, Jeremiah expressed interest in volunteering at OrthoKS at the West Campus He then got set up with Katie Underwood and her team and the rest is history Jeremiah typically works two shifts during the week and has trained numerous other volunteers to help in that space

Katie Underwood had this to say about Jeremiah: "Jeremiah is an exceptional student volunteer who goes above and beyond for our department every time he is here He has a natural ability to connect with the patients and treats everyone he passes with kindness and respect His reliability, compassion, great work ethic, and positive attitude make him a valued part of our team He very much deserves this award! We are so proud of him!"

2013 Dakota Bunch

2019 Jacob Steinle

2009 Justin Groenwold

2010 Bryce Ridgeway

2011 Jackie McCullough & KyAnne Hall

2012 Amar Bhakta

2014 Sam Ho

2015 Nadia Hamid

2016 Eric Wang

2017 Alex Adkins

2018 Meeli Patel

2020 Talia Rowland & Auria Jackson

2022 Nirali Patel, Emma Yackley, Lucy Zuo, Ashtyn Stutzman & Chloe Thornton

2023 Jared Bramble

2024 Ember Alvarez & Chloe Bauer

2025 Dawson Jones & Mridula Boopeshkumar

Allyson V. Leland Staff Mentor of the Year Award

Starting in October 2018, we asked volunteers to nominate and recognize staff who make a difference at LMH Health and create a positive experience for volunteers In March 2022, the Volunteer Board unanimously approved to name this award after Allyson Leland, in honor of her 32 years of dedication and leadership as the Director of Volunteer Services at LMH Health This award honors staff mentors across the organization that work tirelessly to support, welcome, and engage volunteers in their service to LMH Health.

Jean Munsch

Jean embodies what it means to be a mentor to volunteers, demonstrating selflessness, leadership, and a deep commitment to the volunteer program She consistently takes the time to make volunteers feel important and appreciated, asking them about their paths in school and taking an interest in their life outside LMH Health Jean provides advice to volunteers when warranted and uses her own experience to help relieve anxiety and stress

Jean is a kind and caring nurse, showing concern and compassion for everyone in the Endoscopy Center including patients, staff, and volunteers Volunteers report that Jean welcomes everyone with a smile and gratitude - truly expressing her appreciation for the time they are giving to their community hospital

One of the qualities that sets Jean apart is her approach to welcoming new volunteers to the team She takes time to learn each volunteer's name, ensuring every interaction is genuine and individualized This level of intentionality creates immediate rapport and helps each volunteer feel like a meaningful part of the team

Jean’s remarkable qualities as a mentor and caregiver make her an invaluable asset to LMH Health and the Endoscopy Center She is a steadfast supporter, a dedicated leader, and a compassionate presence for everyone she interacts with Jean’s unwavering commitment to both patient care and volunteer development makes her truly deserving of the Mentor of the Year Award

PastAwardWinners

2019 Vic White, LMH Therapy Services/Fit Assist

2020 Debbie Ridgway, Family Birthing Center

2022 George Rennels, Surgery Department

2023 Sheryle D’Amico, Administration

2024 Katie Underwood, OrthoKansas

2025 Justus McCullough, The Cancer Center

Scholarship Awardees: 2025 - 2026 Academic Year

The LMH Health Volunteers award three new high school students a $1,000 scholarship, renewable for a total of 4 years for students who are anticipating healthcare majors and who maintain a B average GPA. The following students have received scholarship contributions this past school year:

Julia Bourquin

Ling Clobes

Evan Darrow

Cassidy Dunn

Havayah Harvat

Abby Keltner

Maira Munoz Garcia

Christopher Oral

Shivani Patel

Elizabeth Shew

Shelby Casey

Sylvia Oparaji

Marlena Zuo

Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center

Pre-Nursing, Wichita State University

Chemical Engineering/pre-med, University of Kansas

Nursing, University of Kansas

Pre-Med, Kansas State University

Nursing, Washburn University

Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center

Ecology, Evolution, & Organismal Biology, University of Kansas

Exercise Science/pre-med, University of Kansas

Speech Pathology, University of Nebraska at Kearney

Nursing, Johnson County Community College

Biology, minor in Political Science, Northwestern University

Pre-Med, Cornell University

Volunteer Services Department Stats

A typical volunteer at LMH Health gives 2-4 hours once per week Many of our volunteers are college and high school volunteers, balancing academic and work commitments on top of their volunteer position. Our adult volunteers also give their time to other community agencies, support their families, go to school, and hold down jobs. Every hour a volunteer gives is a gift to the hospital and to our community!

Value based on 2025’s value of a volunteer hour*

*Based on the Kansas Independent Sector Metrics https://independentsector org/wpcontent/uploads/2025/04/vovt-report-2025 pdf

Service Anniversary Pins

Celebrating 1 year of service in 2026

(started in 2025 & gave at least 40 hours of service)

Lucas Adcock

Bridget Andrew

Maryam Atie

Brynn Bakkegard

Pratigya Bhusal

Dee Boeck

Carissa Brandt

Isabella Cecconi

Maddie Chacon

Dominic Chieu

Muaaz Choudhry

Lauren Ciccarelli

Elsa Covi

Jacob Daugherty

Tavaris Davie

Reese Duncan

Ayesha Dunlap

Emma Ebeling

Katie Escobar

Taylar Fagerberg

Ashlee Fuchs

Audrey Fulkerson

Emily Fulton

Jacob Gale

Sydney Garcia

Brian Garretson

Kierra Getz

Cesar Giron

Alex Glaser

Adalise Goldman

Michelle Grass

Ava Green

Cate Hackler

Ashley Harrison

Paige Hennager

Charles Higginson

Gaby Holcomb

Luna Hu

Joan Irungu

Carley Isherwood

CJ Jackson

Aiyeong Jang

Garret Jensen

Gabby Jesse

Abbi Johnson

Nicasio Jurani

Kinshuk Kadian

Noah Kavan

Nguyen Khuu

Sua Kim

Tristan King

Colby Koster

Mia Krannawitter

Mike Lawrence

Ryan Lo

Jake Loos

Ella Lowstetter

Trenton MacMeeken

Hannah McCurry

Debbie Messenhimer

BreAnn Miesner

Zoe Miller

Maimaitijiang Mupar

Sophia Neat

Lisa Nguyen

Minh Nguyen

Kate Nichols

Lily O’Donnell

Denym Ogunnowo

Jane Ostermann

Service Anniversary Pins

Riya Patel

Bella Pierce

Angelli Pina

Agustina Ramirez

Alex Robertson

Autumn Sass

Tori Schenkelberg

Dempsey Schrader

Maddie Sego

Anisha Shrestha

Celebrating 5 years of service (started in 2021)

NotPictured:

SusanAndersen

NancyHambleton

LorriHoelscher

PattyWells

Celebrating 15 years of service (started in 2011)

Brandon Sikes

Michael Singleton

Drew Snyder

Samuel Spaeth

Sam Stava

Maddie Stowell

Aarush Tallapragada

Jack Tanner

Nathaniel Tatpati

Carli Tornambe

Raelyn Vigna

Nathan Vo

Judy Wasko

Jack Weinberg

Morgan White

Kelley Witmer

Ruth Yang

Elaina Zung

Celebrating 10 years of service (started in 2016)

Celebrating 20 years of service (started in 2006)

Health Foundation Volunteers Fund

The LMH Health Volunteer Board in 2024, approved an Expenditures of Funds policy for funds that are available to the Volunteers organization from the Volunteers’ account that is through the LMH Health Foundation.

From time to time, various donors and other sources provide funds to the LMH Health Foundation to assist the LMH Volunteers in their work, helping patients and visitors have as positive experience as possible when at a LMH Health campus. The general purpose of these gifts is to “make the volunteer experience better” and to show the appreciation the donors have for the services rendered by the volunteers. Funds from the LMH Health Foundation Volunteer’s Account may be expended for the following activities, services and/or materials that:

Enhance the volunteer experience for all volunteers

Facilitate the volunteer’s duties

Help the volunteer assist the patient

Help the volunteer assist visitors or guests

Help Volunteer Services staff recruit new volunteers

Help the Gift Shop to better serve visitors and customers to improve profitability

Support volunteer appreciation activities

The Volunteers Foundation Account funds should not be used for normal operations that are the direct responsibility of LMH Health

Requests for the use Volunteer’s Foundation Account funds should be made to the Volunteer Finance Committee. Any volunteer or any paid staff member of Volunteer Services will convey the request to the Volunteer Finance Committee.

LMH Health Volunteers Comittees

Thank you to the following volunteers who serve on the committees to drive decisions within the Volunteers organization!

Governance

Ryan Farley - Chair

Diana Swafford

Elaine Schmidt

Jan Ashmore

Aarush Tallapragada

Finance

Charles Decedue, Chair

Proctor Crow

Karen Beightel

Linda Wilhite

Martha Dorssom

Prisha Patel

Nate Meyer

Scholarship

Shari Raybern, Chair

Diane Spicer

Deb Carpenter

Mary Ann Rasnak

Micki Chestnut

Dawson Jones

Therapy Animal Program Revitalized!

Therapy animals are back at LMH Health, bringing comfort and smiles to patients, visitors, and staff after a COVID-related pause Through a renewed partnership with Loving Paws Animal Therapy Program, Inc., our volunteer program once again includes specially trained therapy animals and their dedicated handlers

These furry volunteers visit clinic lobby areas, inpatient units, and the Cancer Center, offering calming companionship and moments of joy to those receiving care and those providing it. The return of the program has been warmly welcomed across the organization.

In 2025 alone, therapy animal teams spent more than 90 hours visiting patients and staff throughout LMH Health. We are excited to continue growing this partnership and expanding the positive impact of therapy animals across our campuses

In Memoriam

Michael Miller Cancer Center

11/14/1941 - 4/18/2025

Martha Kukuk

Mario’s Closet/Gift Shop

6/2/1932 - 9/11/2025

Volunteers give the most precious gift-- time We want to honor and remember the volunteers who are no longer with us, recognizing the lasting impact they made on our patients, visitors, and staff Their generosity of spirit continues to inspire us, reminding us that the time they gave was not just measured in hours, but in the lives they touched

As we reflect on their contributions, we carry forward their legacy of compassion, service, and care Their gift of time remains a guiding light, and we are forever thankful for the difference they made.

Volunteer Services Staff

Shane Heiman, Volunteer Services Manager

Nicole Olson, Volunteer Services Supervisor

Cindy Kruger, Gift Shop Manager

Jen Crowe, Gift Shop Coordinator

Robin Gaschler, Gift Shop Coordinator