April 20, 2023
April 16 to 22 marks National Volunteer Week. To celebrate, we’re exploring the volunteer journey of four longstanding LHSC volunteers. Follow us this week as we learn more about the volunteers who make Team LHSC ‘Stronger Together’.
Jordan Krupa is one of the many LHSC volunteers who started this journey as an undergraduate student at Western University. Five years later, as a fourth-year Ph.D. student, he continues to offer a helping hand to those who need it.
"At the time, I was studying Neuroscience but looking to understand better how health care works, as medicine has always piqued my interest. I thought volunteering at University Hospital would be a great way to do it, and when I started, I immediately found volunteering to be a fulfilling experience," he recalls.
There have been multiple roles that Jordan has played as a volunteer since he started. He currently is an operating room waiting room volunteer at University Hospital. However, he also served as a volunteer at the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Western Fair Agriplex, and as a representative on Volunteer Services' Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC).
Being a volunteer for five years is a very rare but remarkable achievement for a student, as they don't often stay for that long. Nevertheless, as he describes, those opportunities helped him identify his call to public service, leading him to pursue a career as a Clinician Scientist. "My continued commitment to volunteering at LHSC is my way of thanking the organization for these formative experiences."
When volunteer shifts stopped as the pandemic took hold, Jordan felt an essential part of his weekly routine was missing. He continued his involvement with the Volunter Advisory Council, which had quickly shifted to virtual meetings (and which he is still a part of), and, as soon as in person roles resumed, "it was a no-brainer to offer my time to return in whatever capacity possible."
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges to LHSC, but physicians, nurses, and staff worked tirelessly to continue providing care to those who needed it. "I know this has resulted in much burnout among these fantastic people. Volunteering again after the pandemic began is my way of making things easier for them, giving back for their efforts," he explains.
This year's theme for Volunteer Week at LHSC is " We are Stronger Together," and it is only fitting as teamwork represents a pillar of LHSC values and its way of serving others.
The word teamwork is, for Jordan, a fundamental requirement for success in any field. "While I am only a tiny part of the team that works to provide care to patients at LHSC, I help facilitate effective communication between care teams and patients/families, ultimately working together as one team."
Participating in the patient experience of a hospital organization with such a large catchment and serving as a liaison between patients' families and their medical teams, Jordan has found a truly rewarding experience.
"My volunteer shift is often the best part of my week; it energizes and motivates me. We have a tremendous impact on patient experience. Having a loved one in for surgery is a stressful event, and when I greet patients and their families on surgery day, I hope to provide them with comfort and someone to easily come to with questions and concerns during the process."