Gaylene Adamczyk
410-601-8678

Since 1972, hospital auxiliary volunteers have manned the phones, making sure they hear from the complete roster of community members who call at designated times during the day. If a call is not received within 15 minutes of a scheduled time, the volunteer calls the community member. If there is no response, calls are made to members of a specified contact list to check on the individual. As a last resort, the police are contacted to intervene.

It gives everyone a good feeling,� says Joan Kahline, a volunteer at Northwest who served as director of volunteers for 20 years. It gives the family security and fills a huge void in many people�s lives.�

Over the years, Tele-Care volunteers have saved lives. Participants have been found after falling, having a stroke, or just being too sick to get to the telephone. In all, dozens of people have been saved, and more than 500 have used the Tele-Care service during its existence.

The Tele-Care program has proven successful, and served as the model for a similar venture undertaken by Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin last year.

Our clients genuinely appreciate the program and they tell us all of the time,� says Selma Garonzik, co-chairman of the Tele-Care program. Many of them send donations to the hospital auxiliary because of the work we do.�

Northwest Hospital Center is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

# # #