When Tim Grogan needed help, St. Elizabeth Healthcare was there.
In 2012 Grogan underwent emergency open heart surgery at St. Elizabeth Edgewood as well as a subsequent procedure to put in a pacemaker.
Grogan had lost his employer-sponsored health coverage and says the team at St. Elizabeth did more than save his life. They helped him overcome the financial hurdles he faced.
“They really helped me out,” he says. “Now I guess it’s my chance to give back.”
Grogan, 61, volunteers two evenings a week at the information desk at St. Elizabeth Florence.
“I’m generally the first person people see when they come in, so I try to make them feel welcome,” he says.
Grogan understands all too well the anxiety patients and their loved ones feel, and that empathy comes through in the way he interacts with the people who walk through the hospital doors. Whether he’s providing a room number, giving directions or offering wheelchair assistance to a patient who needs a little extra help, he tries to make people feel at ease.
“I like interacting with people, and it’s a very rewarding experience,” he says. “It’s not rocket science to be nice to people.”
Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
