Daryl Waters, the director of Volunteer Services at East Georgia Regional Medical Center, was Friday's guest on the "Mornings unPHIltered" show. Waters discussed the Hospital Auxiliary group and the volunteer programs at the hospital.
      Waters said that the hospital's volunteer corps has been helping throughout the decades and the Auxiliary helps fund nursing scholarships at both Georgia Southern University and at Ogeechee Technical College.
Waters told host Phil Boyum that a large percent of all nursing students at Georgia Southern and Ogeechee Tech come to East Georgia Regional to do their student technicals.
      The pink uniforms of the ladies and red jackets of the gentlemen volunteers at East Georgia Regional make them easy to locate around the hospital campus Waters said the volunteers perform many duties.
      Duties include operating the gift shop, as well as delivering mail, flowers, balloons and gifts to patients. Also, they staff both information desks at each entrance to the hospital, assisting families of patients and providing clerical support for patients.
      The hospital gift shop is the primary source of funding for the volunteer program, and is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. They sell everything from cards, balloons and flowers for visitors to bring to patients.
      The hospital offers both college and high school volunteer programs, Waters said. College student volunteers can submit applications during the first three weeks of each semester. All potential student volunteers must submit to a background check and be able to provide immunization information and proof of a negative tuberculin skin test.
      College student volunteers are not only enrolled in the medical fields, but also come from areas such as business administration, human resources, marketing and retail. High School volunteers between the ages of 14 and 17 may enroll in the hospital's eight-week long summer program.
      Applications for the program are accepted from April until May. High school students must meet the same requirements as college students and provide a current copy of their transcript with verification of at least a "B" average.
      For more information on how to become a hospital volunteer, contact Volunteer Services at (912) 486.1575 Monday - Friday or email Waters at johnny.waters@hma.com