Broward County
Volunteers Brighten Lives
What is a volunteer? The writers of "The Health Advisor" said it best …
A volunteer is
someone very special who helps others get a job done.
They usually arrive when the workload is the greatest,
the outlook the bleakest, and the job the hardest. They
are not interested in compensation, only in doing a good
job and making things a little better for their fellow
man. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors
and social classes. They can type, file, photograph,
organize, distribute, sew or manage. And they are usually
smiling - smiling because they are doing something that
they want to be doing and they are making a difference.
The
volunteer services program provides donated goods and
services to the individuals served by the Department of
Health beyond that which the department can normally
provide due to personnel and fiscal constraints.
Volunteer services provide a bridge between the
department and the community by augmenting and extending
existing programs. Volunteers who have a positive
experience with the department are good-will ambassadors
for the agency. Therefore, public relations are an
integral and important aspect of the volunteer services
program.
Volunteer Health Care Provider Program
This program was established in 1992 pursuant to section 766.1115, Florida Statutes, with the longstanding Chapter 110, Florida Statutes, Volunteer Program. The intent of the Legislature was twofold: to increase access to health care for indigent Floridians through the use of volunteers, and to increase the number of health care volunteers through the extension of state-sponsored sovereign immunity protection.
Department of Health's sovereign immunity
protection is extended to the following programs to
assist them in providing pro bono health care to indigent
individuals in Broward County:
Broward County Medical Association "We Care" Program
This program has over 200 volunteer specialty physicians who provide medical care to the economically disadvantaged. Patients are referred to one of the multiple specialty clinics for neurology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, podiatry, and dermatology.
Broward Outreach Center
This is a cooperative agreement to provide medical care to residents at a homeless shelter in Hollywood. Supported by Memorial Health Care System, the clinic uses donated medicines, equipment, and supplies. This center is affiliated with the Miami Rescue Mission.
Elderly Interest Fund MediVan Project
Two mobile units provide services and programs not otherwise available to the elderly population in Broward County. The MediVan visits various sites around the county to treat elderly patients who cannot get to a physician's office. Nineteen retired volunteer physicians participate in the program and approximately 40 patients are seen on any given day.
Living Water Care Center
This care center offers medical exams, a food pantry, and referral services for low-income residents. It is located on the grounds of Lake Forest Baptist Church in Pembroke Park and is supported by the Florida Baptist Association through Gulf Stream Baptist Association. The clinic not only is bringing health care to many without insurance; it is reviving the dying church it sits behind.
It was documented that between July 1997 and June 1998, through the efforts of the two programs, Chapters 110 and 766.1115, Florida Statutes, Volunteer Programs, over $49 million in free health care for the needy, and donated goods and services for individuals served by the Department of Health in the state of Florida.
Other
programs associated with the Department of Health:
Christ Church United Methodist
Each week they
deliver baby clothes, furniture, and equipment to Healthy
Start participants. They also "adopted" 1,300
children and their families for the holidays, with each
child's donation worth approximately $25.
Healthy Mothers / Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County
Utilizes volunteer health
professionals in efforts to improve the health of
pregnant women and their babies.
Shots by Two
This is an immunization reminder
initiative supported by the Florida District of Kiwanis
International, District 23. Volunteers were recruited to
mail postcard reminders and make phone calls to mothers
of newborns from participating hospitals, remind them of
the need for scheduled immunizations.
The Senior HIV Intervention Project (S.H.I.P.)
This is a two-year grant for Dade,
Broward, and Palm Beach Counties to conduct education and
awareness activities in the senior community and with
health care providers. Volunteers were recruited and
trained to do health education about HIV / AIDS,
facilitate group discussions, as well as perform
administrative duties.
Volunteer Positions
currently needed:
- Dentists (7th Avenue Clinic) Nurses for Healthy Start
- Creole Interpreter (various locations) Spanish Interpreter (various locations)
- Support Workers (various locations) Personnel Assistant
- Pharmacy Tech Group facilitators (AIDS discussion groups)
- Interviewing Clerks (assist in determining eligibility)
- Computer Assistant / Data Entry Clerical Positions (various locations)
- Hughes
Building Assistant (to help route traffic and
assist people with directions)
Please be aware that
there are requirements for becoming a volunteer in the
state of Florida. For volunteers interested in working at
the various health departments or other clinics, there is
a document in the application packet that requires a
public notary to sign, a local law enforcement check is
obtained, and two references are contacted to ensure the
person volunteering is of good moral character. If you
are a licensed professional interested in the Volunteer
Health Care Provider Program, you maybe required to sign
an individual contract with the Department of Health.
Groups of professionals may enroll under a corporate
contract and each professional would then sign an
employee agreement.
Volunteers
V aluable is the work you do,
O utstanding in how you always come through.
L oyal, sincere, and full of good cheer,
U ntiring in your efforts throughout the year.
N otable are the contributions you make,
T rustworthy in every project you take.
E ager to reach your every goal,
E ffective in the way you fulfill your role.
R eady with a smile like a shining star,
S pecial and wonderful - that's what you are!
Thanking you in advance for interest in volunteering.
Contact Information
Postal address, telephone and fax:
- Region 10 Coordinator:
Vera Sharitt- Broward County Health Department
2421-A Southwest 6th Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315-2613
(954) 467-4864 (SC) 453-4864
FAX (954) 760-7798
- State Coordinator (program information):
- Shannon Lease, M.S.
Department of Health Headquarters
BIN #A13
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Tallahassee FL 32399-1722
Telephone (850) 245-4104 (SC)205-4104
FAX (850) 414-6091 (SC)994-6091
Electronic mail:
Volunteer opportunities contact regional coordinator: Vera_Sharitt@doh.state.fl.us
General Program Information: Shannon_Lease@doh.state.fl.us
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