The giving and dedicated volunteers at Shore impact the lives of our patients and staff every day. They are the friendly faces that greet you in the lobby, help people find where they need to go, provide assistance to visitors and staff, and run our gift shop effectively and efficiently.
The influence of our volunteer program can be felt throughout our organization, so this month’s Behind the Scenes story shines the spotlight on the team that manages all of Shore’s Volunteer Services.
Shore’s Volunteer Services team is comprised of Lisa DiTroia, Director of Auxiliary & Volunteer Services, who began at Shore in the volunteer department 24 years ago; coordinators Karen Kennedy and Gregg Matis, and desk clerk Antoinette Banks. Lisa has worked at Shore since 1999, and is President-Elect of the Somers Point Rotary Club, a proud mom of three wonderful children, and Grammi to one awesome grandson. Gregg retired in 2018, having spent over 40 years in the financial services industry, primarily in the information technology field. After retiring, he became restless and decided to work part-time. He lives in Ocean City with his wife, Patricia, and is the proud grandfather of two wonderful grandsons. Karen has over 15 years’ experience managing volunteer programs for two major museums in Philadelphia. She also served eight years in the Army including a tour of duty in Operation Desert storm. She has also worked in human resources and training and development, and is the author of three books. Antoinette has more than 25 years of customer service experience and she was a Phlebotomist.
The team is responsible for the recruiting, interviewing, placement, orientation and support of all volunteers within the hospital and in our thrift shops. In addition, they are responsible for providing an excellent experience in the lobby for all visitors, patients, and vendors who enter the building. This includes registering visitors, distributing wristbands for visitation, providing directions, answering questions, and more.
“We are the first impression of Shore Medical Center when patients and visitors enter our building, and we strive to provide the highest quality customer service with compassion and empathy,” said Lisa DiTroia. “We have also built special relationships with our most frequent patients and visitors, and those relationships go a long way.”
There has also been the additional responsibility of having each hospital visitor screened according to current COVID guidelines. They also work closely with many departments in the hospital to keep up-to-date on procedures or processes that may change in the COVID environment.
“I want to thank our team for doing an excellent job throughout the pandemic, adapting to COVID conditions and adjusting our duties and daily routines,” added DiTroia.
Shore’s Volunteer Services team is actively recruiting volunteers to the organization after restrictions for the past two years. These volunteers will be available to help in various areas of patient care and non-clinical areas.
“Our team is always willing to help improve patient and staff experiences, and we are always reachable and here to support the organization,” said Lisa. “Please give us a call at 609-653-3543 if you need anything.
