Jennifer Poole Wood, M.S.W.

Munroe Regional Medical Center

Ocala

Creativity, dedication, and passion are just three of many words that describe Jennifer Wood and her impact on Munroe Regional Medical Center.  Starting her career two decades ago as manager of volunteer services, Jennifer has been a champion in her field.  From that first day with only 100 volunteers and a part-time secretary, she has been enthusiastic in meeting and exceeding the mission of the Medical Center.

Jennifer immediately set the bar high and recruited many high-quality volunteers from our community.  Not only did she recruit retired professionals but she also opened the doors encouraging teens and college students to volunteer.  By doing this, she has allowed many bright students to experience different areas and responsibilities within the hospital, and helped stimulate those considering the medical field as careers.  During her tenure, Munroe’s volunteer program has grown to include over 1,500 active volunteers and increased the scope and extent of her department to include senior services.

Jennifer’s passion to help others is one of the main reasons the Munroe Volunteer Program is so successful.  She recognized very early that every volunteer working in the hospital at one time worked and contributed their individual talents to a life outside the Medical Center.  She identifies with their strengths and ensures that they are placed in the right position to succeed.  She gives them the tools to do their job and then steps away and gives them the freedom to do it effectively.  The volunteers have become an instrumental part of the Munroe family and contribute every day to assist us in meeting the mission of our hospital.  They work tirelessly to improve the organization’s efficiency and are dedicated to improving the satisfaction of our patients, associates, and physicians.  Jennifer’s philosophy and dedication to her volunteers is why Munroe Regional’s Volunteer Program has become second to none.  This past year, our volunteers donated 227,000 hours of time working within the organization.  The hours donated by the volunteers amounted to a $3.5 million savings for the hospital in federal wage equivalency.

Jennifer’s creativity and willingness to think outside the box has resulted in the formation of several very successful programs at Munroe Regional.  One of her most successful programs created is Prestige 55.  Prestige 55 concentrates on providing a forum for adults over the age of 55 opportunities to be educated on wellness, prevention, and leisure activities, and identifies ways to help members maximize their health and lifestyle.  Today, there are over 22,000 community residents that are part of the Prestige 55 program, with 2,200 members participating in at least one program a month.

Earlier this year, Jennifer and her staff wanted to find a way to help the Medical Center with the workforce shortage of RNs and patient care techs.  They researched hospitals across the United States to see if any had created a program that allowed volunteers to step into the patient care arena.  Through their research, they did not find a program that met their vision, so Jennifer created a new service line called Munroe Cares Partnership Program:  Staff Extenders.  The Staff Extenders program takes volunteers and places them at our patients’ bedside to provide the necessary tender loving care for all their non-clinical and non-medical needs.  The Staff Extenders consist of volunteers from all walks of life.  We have retired chemical engineers, teachers, dentists, physicians, housekeepers, and bus drivers participating in the program.  It allows our medical staff to focus on the clinical needs of our patients, while the volunteers attend to everything else.  The program launched in May 2007 and under Jennifer’s guidance has already had a tremendous impact on the Medical Center.  We have seen patient satisfaction scores increase, as well as job satisfaction scores of our nurses and patient care techs.  The Staff Extenders program came to fruition just as Jennifer imagined.  It has provided the third heart and extra set of hands to assist our patients and care for their needs.  The Staff Extenders program allows the Medical Center to maximize its resources and creates an environment where our trained processionals can focus on what they are trained to do.

There are not enough words to describe the impact Jennifer Wood has had on Munroe Regional Medical Center and our community over the past 24 years.  I could not think of anyone else that is more deserving of the FHA Hospital Hero Award.

Mike Robertson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Munroe Regional Medical Center