We are Women’s offers the WCH community a chance to get to know each other and share our stories.
Name: Frederick Sulowski
Pronouns: He/Him
Title & Department: WCH Volunteer
On the WCH team for: 15 months
1. Why did you start volunteering with WCH?
I am someone that is passionate about being able to use their skills to help others in need. Coming out of high school, having volunteer experience as a tutor and with students with individual education plans (IEP’s), I was seeking an opportunity to make a difference beyond my high school community on a larger scale. I saw volunteering at the Women’s College Hospital as an opportunity to make a positive impact by working in roles that allowed me to use my abilities to engage with and benefit the experience of patients while building relationships with staff and members of the volunteer community.
2. What does your typical volunteer shift look like?
I am currently working Wednesday mornings in the Cardiology department. My role is primarily centered around liaising between healthcare providers and patients in the waiting areas. I ensure that patients are prepared for their appointments, which can involve ensuring that they have successfully checked in, providing instructions for changing into hospital gowns for various procedures, stocking the changing rooms with gowns, and bringing patients to their appointment rooms to be seen. By serving as a point of contact for those in the waiting area, I can recognize and bring various issues to the attention of staff members. Above all, I strive to help facilitate the creation of a kind, welcoming environment where patients feel safe, heard, and comfortable while also aiding efficiency in the department.
3. What do you most look forward to every year when volunteering at WCH?
When you become a volunteer at the Women’s College Hospital, you become part of an organization that not only has a rich history of service; you become part of a tight-knit community. As a part of that community, this year I loved participating in the Association of Volunteers’ Holiday Social Walking in a Women’s Wonderland! The holiday social gave a great opportunity for volunteers to learn about the history of volunteering at WCH and the wonders that WCH has created over the years, and was a chance to socialize and ring in the holiday season!
4. What’s your favourite part of volunteering with WCH?
My favourite aspects of my role are being able to make a positive impact on the experiences of patients through patient interaction while working with and building relationships with the members of the Association of Volunteers, technicians, administrative staff and physicians in the Cardiology Department. I feel as though WCH gives volunteers a unique opportunity to make a direct impact in all kinds of meaningful ways while also giving us chance to build a rapport with staff and the volunteers we work with.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Learn more about our volunteering at WCH!