What’s happening: The 2024 California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference was held Sept. 16-17 in San Diego. More than 150 people attended, including volunteers, volunteer leaders, paid volunteer leaders, community partners, and others.
What else to know: Sessions focused on support and best practices for hospital volunteer programs, collecting metrics to tell the story of hospital volunteers, and the unique skills and benefits volunteers bring to health care teams.
Other highlights included Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties President & CEO Dimitrios Alexiou providing an overview of California hospitals and the challenges they face, including discharge delays, labor shortages, and patients experiencing homelessness. He also discussed the growing impact of artificial intelligence.
As a pre-med student, Alexiou volunteered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson, AZ and understands the impact and value of hospital volunteerism.
Closing session speaker Karma Bass of Via Healthcare Consulting focused on effective strategic planning, success through clear, effective communication, and the importance of using Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound (SMART) goals.
