Owensboro Health | Lift | March 2019

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Midland, MI Permit No. 8 Patient-centered, compassionate care To learn more about how we focus on you, visit OwensboroHealth.org 1201 Pleasant Valley Road Owensboro, KY 42303 Young at heart Turn to page 5 to read how the Healthpark helps Bob Howe stay in good health and high spirits in his 80s. The volunteers at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital are putting their hearts into what they make. It just so happens that they’re making hearts — well, pillows shaped like hearts. Debbie Luttrell, manager of Volunteers and Guest Services, said the people who give their time are a special group. “Our volunteers are the most giving, loving people I’ve ever met. Everything for them is about giving back,” she said. “They never expect to get anything back for what they do. They do it out of kindness.” Patients who have undergone open-heart surgery need a pillow to hold to their chest for when they cough, sneeze, hiccup or even laugh. Holding the heart-shaped pillow against their chest creates gentle pressure, which reduces stress on the stitches. Each year, the volunteers distribute about 200 heart pillows to patients who have undergone surgery, and they often get feedback about how helpful the pillows are and how meaningful they become in recovery. “They’re attached to the meaning of the pillow, not just the physical and medical need,” Debbie said. “I think it’s a symbol of what they’ve gone through and overcome. They’re better than anything we can buy because they’re made with love.” A heart for patients OHRH VOLUNTEERS In 2018, Owensboro Health Foundation served more than 7,800 people in our communities with a multitude of health and wellness needs. You can make a difference to someone by making a tax-deductible gift at OwensboroHealth.org/ Foundation. Or call 270-688-2113 to learn more.