Community volunteer highlight: Judy Hale
Judy Hale has been involved with healthcare reform and providing coverage for the uninsured since the mid-1980s. After she got laid off a year ago and struggled to figure out her next steps, a conversation with a friend helped her realize she wanted to do what made her happy.
She knew she found just the place when Hands On Greater Portland connected her with Project Access NOW. She said, “Project Access NOW helped me tremendously when I lost my job and needed a place to fall gently.” Conversely, Judy is now, in Lorraine Williams‘s words, “a perfect volunteer”.
Judy’s masters in social welfare policy and her career in healthcare policy studies, consulting, and administration provided her with solid background for the Project Access NOW community volunteer position. What’s more, helping the uninsured is “about as gratifying as you can get for me”, as she put it.
Judy makes appointments for patients in Washington County, prepares applications for the medical assistance program, and runs a provider review program that checks volunteer physicians’ good standing with their respective state boards. All in 15-16 hours per week.
According to Lorraine Williams, Operations Manager at Project Access NOW, “When Judy came to us, she was so excited to be doing something outside the box. Whatever we need, she jumps right in with very little direction. She integrated into the office well, and we always look forward to her coming in.”
Judy enjoys her experience at Project Access NOW, too. “I love it, it’s very satisfying. [Project Access NOW] is a happy place, which is wonderful. There’s a special connection among the staff that’s unique – you won’t find it in very many places. We work hard, we laugh a lot, and everybody is committed to what we’re doing.”
(October 2009)
