"My job is to make people's experience less painful," said Kehl. "I act as a liaison between patients, nurses, and doctors and take care of patients' non-medical needs."
Avista Hospital extends the healing ministry of Christ by caring for those who are ill and by nurturing the health of the people in our communities.
Kehl herself has been to the emergency room and understands firsthand the non-medical trauma involved. "The waiting, the not knowing, being afraid to ask questions." Kehl does anything she can to help the patients and medical staff, from cleaning rooms to sitting and talking with patients. "There is a lot of talking, listening and holding hands," Kehl pointed out.
Sherri Davis, with Avista Hospital, added that Kehl's duties include "circulating around patient rooms and waiting rooms to offer assistance to patients and families, offering pillows and warm blankets to the patients, assisting patients with remote controls, TV, telephone, and room service, investigating delays and providing updates to the patients on their wait, providing child care as needed, and assisting patients in the Intensive Care Unit."
Kehl could not be more pleased with her volunteer assignment. "This is a great opportunity and I wish more people knew about it," she said. "This is an excellent opportunity for people who like working with people, and for people who like learning something new every day."
Kehl "… is perfect for this position," asserted Davis. "Her former experience as a high school principal has given her a tremendous amount of expertise in handling all types of situations with all types of family dynamics - which is the perfect compliment to the Emergency Department staff."
"I get to work with incredible professionals," Kehl added. "Avista has the most caring and competent nurses. They actually make me feel valuable-like I make a difference for them."
Kehl "is very self motivated, compassionate, dedicated and a very good listener. She is very versatile, has a lot of energy and is willing to do whatever she can to help. We love having her as a volunteer at Avista Hospital," concluded Davis.
