Volunteer Spotlight: Tom Lynch and Fran Haese
Meet two of our exceptional volunteers.
by Anna-Stasha Morien, student intern, Mercy Medical Center Volunteer Services
Mercy volunteers Tom Lynch and Fran Haese are recent Affinity Health System awardees. Tom was recognized by the Affinity Learning Center for playing the part of patient in a recent video recording used for training ER staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Fran was awarded an Assisting Clinical Excellence Award (ACE) which identifies one individual from an ancillary department who has assisted a clinical department in achieving the top 10 percent in a monthly patient satisfaction survey. Fran was nominated by the Women and Families Unit. Combined, Fran and Tom have given nearly 2,000 hours of their time volunteering at Mercy.
Tom started volunteering at Mercy Medical Center 10 years ago after he retired from teaching forensics and theater at Oshkosh West High School. In addition to lending his acting skills as a volunteer, Tom is a Eucharistic minister, mass assistant and Caring Companion. Tom’s other interests, when he is not at Mercy, are gardening, reading, walking, and going to church. You could call him a guru of volunteering because he also volunteers at the Salvation Army, Food Pantry, and doing various things for his church. He sets a wonderful example of helping humanity.
Fran has been volunteering since 2006 and continues to volunteer even after becoming employed at Mercy. She volunteers in transport, knits baby caps, subs at the Oakwood desk and waters the plants in the main lobby areas. Fran enjoys volunteering because it’s great fun and it keeps her on the go. When the Women and Families department described Fran they said, “She is always smiling and easy to work with and is a great asset to Mercy!” In Fran’s free time she enjoys cooking, especially her delicious cheesecake, knitting, gardening, planting and taking care of her cats.
“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” This quote from Helen Keller is fitting because of the way volunteers, like Fran and Tom, give from their heart.
Berdardine Nitz, Affinity Learning Center; Tom Lynch, volunteer; Bill Calhoun, Mercy Medical Center president
Fran Haese, holding framed award, receives recognition from Women and Families and Environmental Services department staff.
