HONG HA HOANG
Husky Leadership Certificate
Please join me as I share the college experiences that have inspired so much personal growth. If you would ike to learn more about any I've written, feel free to contact me.
University of Washington Medical Center Volunteer Services
The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is a nationally renowned in the University District of Seattle, Washington. It is one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the University Of Washington School Of Medicine. In the 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals" ranks the UWMC 10th out of 5,462 hospitals nationwide. Since 1959, University of Washington Medical Center patients, families, guests and staff have benefited from the commitment of the volunteers at the UWMC. Volunteers add to the quality of care and service provided to the patients at the hospital. UWMC’s Patients Are First" Culture has brought so much joy to the patients at the hospital. There are 60+ roles throughout UWMC and UWMC Roosevelt clinics. I started volunteering at the University of Washington Medical Center after graduating from High School. I started out as an escort volunteer. After 3 months of volunteering I got hired on as a Student Assistant in the department of Volunteer Services. I now currently volunteer in the medical and surgical intensive care unit, work at the information in the main lobby, and train new volunteers.
Communication: Verbal communication
Communication is a key in a hospital setting. When I first started out volunteering at the hospital, I had very little customer service experience. From the very first day at orientation the staff at the hospital stressed verbal communication. Even now, when I hold orientation and trainings for the new volunteers we spend a bulk of the time talking about communication. It is very important that not only the health care professionals, staff members, and volunteers at the hospital are on the same page, but the patient as well. A lot of difficult situations can easily be absolved by effective verbal communication. I once had a patient praise the University of Washington Medical Center for their communication skills. He told me a story about his upsetting experience at another hospital where the health care professional performed tests on him without explaining anything to him. I learned a simple line introducing yourself and what you are going to do is really helpful.
Personal Behavior: Responding to ambiguity
My role as a Student Assistant in the department of Volunteer Services include a lead role in overseeing the customer service activities at the University of Washington Medical Center’s main lobby information desk, answer the phone, helping all patients, and managing and assigning tasks to volunteers and training new volunteers. This role has put me in various ambiguous situations because there is so much going on at the main lobby information at a given time. Hundreds of people pass by the main entrance during a given hour and anything could happen. I learned to respond to these unpredictable situations by analyzing the situation and problem solve to see what the best way to handle the situation is. When new information is given, I use that and adjust accordingly. This can range to interacting with a patient who is late to their appointment, or to a patient who needs immediate medical care. My most notable situation was when I had to call a code for a patient who was seizing and clearing the area for the incoming crash team. This is a high stress, but rewarding role.