Svatek named volunteer of the year at GCMC

Donna Svatek is the 2008 Volunteer of the Year for the Hospital Volunteers of Wharton, Inc. Congratulating her are Randy Slack, CEO of Gulf Coast Medical Center, and Carol Wootton, volunteer liaison at GCMC.

Donna Svatek is the Volunteer of the Year at Gulf Coast Medical Center. Svatek was named to the honor at the 2008 annual Awards Banquet for the Hospital Volunteers of Wharton, Inc. hosted by GCMC.

The theme of the banquet was "Volunteers: The Heart of the Community."

Welcoming guests and volunteers was Raymond Harrison Jr., chairman of the board of trustees for GCMC.

After an invocation by Carol Russ guests sat down to a catered dinner.

A review of the accomplishments of the volunteer organization was given by Etta Mayfield, president of the Hospital Volunteers of Wharton, Inc.

Volunteer awards were presented by Dr. Priscilla Metcalf. Those earning pins and hour award bars this year include:

Bobbie Whitbey and Herman Wittig-Pins.

Wilma Gabriel and Bennie Janik-Pins and 100 hours.

Sue Slaughter and Linda Wittig-Pins and 200 hours.

Marlene Riley-Pin and 300 hours.

Joyce Barker-200 hours. Angela Sepeda-500 hours. Rose Blackmore-700 hours.

Ruby Dolejsi-800 hours.

Rebecca Greenwood-1,100 hours.

June Smith-1,200 hours. Joyce Mitchell-1,400 hours. Jewel Slatton-1,500 hours. Elsie Burton-1,700 hours. Norma Fothergill-1,800 hours.

Bernice Boone and Lupe Sepeda-1,900 hours.

Etta Mayfield-2,100 hours.

Winona Hodges and Mickey Miller-2,300 hours.

Bernice Kopecky - 2,600 hours.

Barbara Burris - 2,900 hours.

Ramona Ouirey - 3,700 hours.

Vivian Salinger - 4,700 hours.

Barbara Wingfield - 4,900 hours.

Ruby Hill - 5,000 hours.

Nita Richardson - 5,100 hours.

Dee Wilbeck-6,900 hours.

Martha Janik-7,500 hours.

Shirley Beeson - 10,800 hours.

Donna Svatek - 11,300 hours.

Georgia Wolff - 12,000 hours.

Ann Macha - 12,200 hours.

Billye Sweeney - 12,600 hours.

Joy Bentley - 15,700 hours.

Carol Russ - 17,900 hours.

The Volunteer of the Year award was presented by Carol Wootton, hospital/volunteer liaison

There is only one way to describe this year's Volunteer of the Year," Wootton said. "Tenacious and determined. I asked others to describe this volunteer, and those words came up time and time again, along with sweet, dedicated, always wanting to do her best and keep everyone happy."

Wootton said that Svatek pays attention to even the smallest details in her work. She added that as a volunteer she does a major task that literally touches every single patient that enters Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Svatek was born premature on Dec. 2, 1963 weighing 3 lbs., 11 ozs., at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

She graduated from Wharton High School in 1982. Svatek started her career as a volunteer when she became a candy striper and earned 1,500 hours.

"Later she went to work as a volunteer for Wilma Burger in Medical Records, and following that she worked in the Radiology Department," Wootton said. "For the past several years she has been putting the admitting packets together. She never takes a day off without knowing that there is an adequate supply of packets prepared for our patients."

Wootton said Svatek has been volunteering for 22 years.

"She loves her work and is very devoted to it," she said. "Her hobbies are playing her CDs, tapes, and videos. She also loves to dance, especially polkas."

In 1983-1984 Svatek was named the handicapped professional Woman of the Year.

Guest speaker was entertainer and author Shannon Pickard.

Closing comments were made by Randy Slack, CEO of GCMC.