Fauquier Hospital’s concierge program relies on caring volunteers

George Goletz and Peggy Blank are volunteers for Fauquier Hospital. They are part of a special program dedicated to helping patients have the best possible experience while they are in the hospital.
Last summer, Fauquier Hospital Concierge and Patient Advocate Lisa Spitzer recruited a cadre of ten volunteers for a special project. Their assignment? To visit patients in the hospital and to make their stay a bit more comfortable. The volunteer concierge program was born.
George Goletz said that once a week he spends a day talking with patients, listening to their stories and asking about their hospital visit. “Sometimes the patients or family members just want to talk,” he says. “That’s OK. I have the time. I can stay as long as they need me to stay. I ask them about the quality of care they are receiving or if they need anything. Sometimes they want a newspaper, sometimes they are really craving a candy bar. If they’re allowed to have one, I’ll go get their favorite kind.”
Peggy Blank says that some patients don’t want company when they are not feeling well. “I understand. I play it by ear. A patient may need something – an extra blanket or a drink. I can help with that. We hope that our patients are a little happier because of our visits.”