Halifax resident Michael Herrick has been volunteering at the QEII since 2008. Now a volunteer Patient Family Advisor with NS Health’s Palliative Care Network, Michael continues to have a positive impact on Nova Scotians. QEII FOUNDATION
QEII volunteer/donor making a big impact for nearly 20 years
When Michael Herrick retired 18 years ago, he decided he needed something to do with his time. As fate would have it, a short time later he stumbled across a sign in a hallway of the QEII Health Sciences Centre that caught his eye.
"I was walking through the hospital one day and saw a sign looking for volunteers, so I signed up,’’ he recalls.
Michael had no way of knowing at that time that this many years later, he would still be doing it.
From 2008 to 2020, Michael was an ambassador volunteer at the QEII’s Halifax Infirmary, Abbie J. Lane Memorial and the Camp Hill Veterans Memorial buildings. Dressed in a bright red vest, he met and greeted visitors and provided them with directions and information about the facility when they visited.
“I started volunteering because I discovered how much people appreciated personal interaction while at the hospital. It helps to have someone meet you and chat with you and help you get to where you need to go,” Michael shares.
“It was providing that personal interface between the hospital and the person that gave me a lot of satisfaction particularly from patients who, unfortunately, required follow-up visits.”
Catherine Densmore, a Volunteer Services coordinator at the QEII, is a lead with the ambassador volunteer program.
She says the main goal of the ambassador program is to greet patients as they come into a facility, provide them with general information, and help them get to where they need to go.
“Michael was very well versed within all of our QEII buildings,” she says. “He has a wealth of knowledge, giving him the ability to make an impact at many different locations.’’
Michael has also volunteered at the emergency department and eye care clinic and has been involved with special projects like helping to assemble more than 42,000 COVID-19 test kits and a mailout of more than 10,000 envelopes.
“He is amazing at creating relationships, at training new volunteers and at creating a community for existing volunteers like him,” says Catherine.
For the past three years, Michael has volunteered as a Patient Family Advisor (PFA) with Nova Scotia Health’s Palliative Care Network.
Sarah Manley, Palliative Care Network manager, has worked with Michael and can attest to the importance of his work, both as a PFA and a member of the network’s quality and standards working group, which meets monthly to provide feedback and leadership to move policy development forward.
The Palliative Care Network is a provincial group that sets the strategic direction for the palliative care system in Nova Scotia. Its work focuses on supporting the delivery of high-quality palliative care across the healthcare system.
“The Patient Family Advisor role is very important role within the network,” she points out. “Michael’s experiences with the health system and his thoughtful input brings out the human side of policy work. He’s had the experience of going through the palliative care system as a family member and caregiver.”
In addition to his volunteer roles, Michael is a valued donor, having donated to the QEII Foundation for the purchase of advanced imaging technology at the QEII’s eye care centre, where he personally received care. He’s also currently supporting research at the Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic at the IWK Health Centre following the death of his wife to cancer caused by endometriosis a few years ago.
Michael says he’s learned a lot from volunteering, most importantly, to listen and be kind.
“Sometimes it’s easy to talk, but difficult to listen and hear what people are feeling. Volunteers are not immediate family, so we can be objective and be there to listen and help, even if we can’t solve your problem.”
Despite the tremendous impact he’s had as a volunteer over the years, Michael remains extraordinarily humble about his selflessness. He feels he gets back far more than he gives and that it’s the least he can do considering the personal experiences he and his late wife had within the healthcare system.
Michael also insists he’s not the only one supporting the QEII through volunteering; there are many dedicated volunteers who have given their time to help others, some for decades.
Catherine says the QEII and other NS Health locations are always looking for ambassadors and hospitality volunteers, and are also in need of friendly visitors to spend one-on-one time with patients who may be in hospital for longer periods of time. The volunteers help boost people’s spirits, an important aspect of a patient’s healing journey.
“It’s really important that we have volunteers come in on a weekly basis to provide that continuity of care and compassion,” she explains. “For some patients, volunteers are the only non-clinical people that they will engage with during the day for an extended period of time.”
With hundreds of volunteers across the QEII, Catherine says there’s always room for more.
“Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to the community and make a positive impact on our patient population.”
To learn more about volunteering at the QEII and other NS Health locations, visit NSHealth.ca/volunteer.
