Banner Churchill Community Hospital (BCCH) has submitted Penny Valentine-Faith, president of the Banner Churchill Auxiliary, for the 2024 Nevada Hospital Association (NHA) Volunteer of the Year award. "Over the past year, Penny's dedication and commitment to the patients, staff, and Banner Churchill Community Hospital has been outstanding, making multiple significant impacts," wrote Banner Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Brittany Hert in her nomination letter.
Valentine-Faith has been affiliated with BCCH for eight years. Under her guidance, the Auxiliary provides essential volunteer services like offering a warm, welcoming smile and wayfinding support to those who enter the hospital. Additionally, the Auxiliary operates the hospital gift shop, a community favorite known for its variety of thoughtful gifts and easy access. Also operating under the Auxiliary is the popular Stuff N Such thrift store—proceeds from both help fund scholarships for future healthcare professionals and assist in purchasing vital hospital equipment.
A significant element of Valentine-Faith's role as Auxiliary president puts her in innumerable meetings and board rooms, requiring many hours spent at her computer compiling data and board reports. In between tasks, she also coordinated an impressive 17,000 volunteer hours in 2023.
If that is not enough, her ongoing hospital collaboration efforts have a substantial financial impact. Valentine-Faith spearheaded the Auxiliary's efforts, which resulted in $212,000 in donations used to acquire critical new equipment for BCCH.
One of the most impactful purchases was an off-road side-by-side and trailer equipped for patient transport and care, allowing EMTs to access patients in difficult areas. "This new equipment substantially changes the hospital-operated emergency medical service operations to improve quick and safe access to patients in difficult-to-reach areas," said Hert.
According to Hert, the hospital's emergency medical services (EMS) team utilizes this equipment to reach patients in difficult-to-access areas like the Sand Mountain Recreation Area and crowded community events such as the annual Cantaloupe Festival, which attracts upwards of 20,000 attendees throughout the event.
Another significant auxiliary-driven contribution was the donation of four new infant warmers for the labor and delivery unit. "These new infant warmers have the integrated technology to combine three older devices into one easy-to-use tool," said Hert, who explained that they provide superior respiratory support. We have already seen the positive effects of these devices with improvement in our neonatal core measures."
Valentine-Faith also oversaw the donation of a bariatric bed with a specialized mattress designed to make patient positioning more manageable for the inpatient healthcare team. The new equipment, particularly the Hercules mattress, has received positive feedback from staff, who say it improves workflows and could help extend their bedside careers – "something we need in the time of health care worker shortages," Hert noted. As an added benefit, the hospital saves $5,000 per month as it no longer needs to rent bariatric beds.
Beyond improving patient care, Valentine-Faith has helped find ways to fund community scholarships through the Auxiliary. These scholarships benefit local high school and college students, many of whom return to BCCH as employees, helping to provide healthcare services in this rural region plagued by a healthcare professional shortage.
"Penny Valentine Valentine-Faith exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated and committed volunteer," said Hert. On behalf of BCCH, she wrote, "I am incredibly grateful for the generous financial donations and hours of service that have improved hospital services to patients and the rural community we serve.
Valentine-Faith's work has had a lasting impact on Banner Churchill Community Hospital, its staff, and the rural community it serves, making her a deserving candidate for the NHA Volunteer of the Year award.
Good luck, Penny – you deserve it.
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