School’s Out, Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s In

While some students are spending their summer perfecting their video game skills or hitting the pool, others are getting hands-on experience in the healthcare field. More than 135 local teens are committing their summer vacation time to Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary’s Youth Volunteer Program. More than 40 of these youth volunteers have returned from last year.

“The youth that apply for our program are without exception a remarkable group,” said Sallie MacGregor, president of Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary. “When you review their applications you cannot help but be impressed by the array of community, church and school leadership roles each has contributed. They certainly represent the very best of today’s youth, which in turn is an investment in our future.”

Many students applied for this opportunity, making it the tenth year that the Hospital Auxiliary has seen such excitement about the program. The youth are volunteering in 21 service areas at Piedmont Fayette Hospital allowing them to explore the various aspects of the healthcare field. The eight-week program includes a hospital orientation, CPR training, an opportunity to attend a state youth volunteer conference and day-to-day shadowing experiences with PFH employees.

Students in the PFHA Youth program must be between 14 and 18 years of age, submit an application and essay on why they want to volunteer, provide a letter of reference and be able to commit a minimum of 25 hours over the summer. These students from Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Fulton and Spalding counties attend public and private schools as well as attend home school.

The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary is a 274-member team that provides volunteer services to the hospital. Last year, the Auxiliary donated more than 30,000 hours of volunteer time to the hospital. If you would like more information regarding volunteer opportunities, please call 770-719-7098.