• Career History
  • Volunteer Resource Management
  • Health Literacy Experience

(Also see Volunteer Resource Management Tab and Health Literacy Tab, above)

2004 - present, consulting work and part-time Volunteer Resources Management

  • 09/11 - present, Volunteer Coordinator, Beth Israel Medical Center, Volunteer Health Coach Program
  • 11/10 - present, Program/Grant Coordinator, Mount Sinai Hospital Queens, Volunteer Patient Advocates
  • 09/08 - 10/10, Program/Grant Coordinator (Consultant), Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Health Literacy Volunteers
Jerry's expertise and proficiency in tailoring curriculum to different levels of volunteers and the patient population we serve has been invaluable. Jerry is constantly seeking to improve the volunteer programs he works with, ensuring a first rate experience for our patients and volunteers! Julianne Rich, MPA
Assistant Director, Volunteer Services
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center

  • 2005 - 2009, Program/Training Coordinator (P/T), New York Methodist Hospital,
  • 2004 - 2008, Project/Grant Coordinator (Consultant), Lutheran Medical Center,
Jerry is an experienced volunteer manager, consultant and trainer. His knowledge of trends and issues in volunteer management, ability to see the big picture, and ability to organize program components and monitor results have enabled him to successfully coordinate, implement and assess two grant funded volunteer programs for us. He ensures volunteers are trained and coached in order to succeed and demonstrates communication and collaboration skills that make him not only a valuable team member but also a valuable team builder.
Bonnie Olsen
Administrator for Voluntary Initiatives
Lutheran HealthCare
Brooklyn, New York

 

  • 2004 - 2005, Program/Grant Coordinator (P/T), New York Hospital Queens

2001-2003, Assistant Director, Mayor's Volunteer Center of New York City (formerly MVAC)

1996-2001, Director of Volunteer Services, Rivington House, The Nicholas A. Rango Health Care Facility

1993-1996, Director of Volunteer Services, Volunteer Coordinator, and Volunteer/Special Events Coordinator, AIDS Center of Queens County

Prior to 1993, Full-time Faculty and Costume Shop Manager, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Theatre Program, Department of Design

EDUCATION

CVA, Certification in Volunteer Administration, Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration

Certificate in Mentoring Supervision, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services

New York University, School of Continuing Education, Management Institute

BS, Eastern Michigan University, Dramatic Arts major and Studio Art minor

(Also see Career History Tab and Health Literacy Tab, above)

Management and Program Coordination

  • Oriented staff about volunteer resources and collaborated on identifying volunteer opportunities within the agency/facility
  • Collaborated when designing volunteer assignment descriptions; recruited, interviewed, oriented and trained; evaluated volunteers and programs; and coordinated volunteer appreciation practices and events
  • Collaborated on developing volunteer policies and procedures, developed volunteer handbook, and produced volunteer newsletter
  • Developed and implemented programs; designed tools to monitor and measure program outcomes; and made recommendations based on data collected and anecdotal information
  • Expanded and/or updated existing programs
  • Represented agency/facility within the community
  • Providing ongoing training opportunities to those new to the field
  • Facilitated task forces and awards committee
  • Monitored budget lines
  • Supervised paid and volunteer staff
  • Maintained volunteer files in compliance with Department of Health and Joint Commission standards
  • Served on various management committees: Performance Improvement Council, Environment of Care Committee, Y2K Infrastructure Committee, Emergency Department First Contact Team, etc.
  • Coordinated program grants:
    • New York Hospital Queens
      • Emergency Department Team
      • Crisis Response Volunteer Team
    • Lutheran Medical Center
      • Emergency Department, Family Trauma Support Team
      • Health Literacy Volunteers (See Health Literacy Tab, above)
    • Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center (See Health Literacy Tab, above)
      • Health Literacy for diabetic patients
      • Health Literacy for caregivers

(Also see Career History Tab and Volunteer Resource Management Tab above)

New York Methodist Hospital

United Hospital Fund Grant (UHF), support person
Year One: 2004/2005 - Family Health Center, East Flatbush
Year Two: 2005/2006 - Outpatient Pediatrics Practice

  • Introduced to the Adult Literacy Media Alliance (ALMA) materials
  • Observed trainings and use of the tools produced by ALMA
  • Assisted with coaching/mentoring volunteers, volunteer and patient surveys, volunteer performance evaluations, and tracking information/data for UHF grant
  • Topics covered: Learning From the Label: Taking Medicine Safely; Get Organized: Managing Multiple Medications; Keep Track: Using a Medical Journal to Take Care of Yourself (Asthma 911); and Laverne: Reading Food Labels

Post Grant: 2006, 2007, 2006 and 2009, Trainer and Coach/Mentor

  • Interviewed volunteer candidates
  • Adapted materials to meet limited training timeline
  • Adapted training/coaching based in input from volunteers and patients
  • Trained, coached/mentored, and conducted volunteer performance evaluations
  • Trained staff person(s) to assist with volunteer performance evaluations
  • Introduced program to Adult Clinic
  • Topics covered: reading over the counter (OTC) labels, reading prescription labels, dosing, and navigating nutrition labels

Lutheran Medical Center

Macy Foundation Grant, Grant Coordinator - Consultant
Lutheran Medical Center partnered with Adult Literacy Media Alliance (ALMA) and four other hospitals
2005/2006 - Sunset Park Family Health Center, Adult Medicine Clinic

  • Piloted the ALMA, Health Smarts While You Wait, kit in the Sunset Park Family Health Center - adult medicine clinic wait room
    • ALMA adapted all materials in the classroom kit for use in non-acute hospital based settings in English & Spanish and to improve the health literacy and health behaviors of high risk, underserved health consumers
    • Project enhanced the ability of health care partners to help low literate patients with chronic illnesses manage their health more effectively
  • Topics covered: TV 411, Health Smarts While You Wait (Learning from the Label: Taking Medicine Safely; Get Organized: Managing Multiple Medications; Keep Track: Using a Medical Journal to Take Care of Yourself - Asthma 911)
  • Served as grant coordinator

United Hospital Fund Grant, Project/Grant Coordinator - Consultant

Year One: 2006/2007
Sunset Park Family Health Center, Adult Medicine Clinic Wait Room
Pediatrics Clinic Wait Room
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, Sunset Park Family Support Center

  • Extensive adaptations of ALMA materials to meet the goals of the grant and training timeline of volunteers (Over the Counter Labels, Prescription Labels, Dosing, Managing Multiple Medications, and Navigating Nutrition Labels)
  • Trained and coached traditional volunteers and AmeriCorps Members
  • Trained staff member to coach/mentor and evaluate bilingual volunteers
  • Worked with Sunset Park Family Support Center in order to adapt materials/presentations for ESOL classes, (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
  • Created various tools for tracking the work of the volunteers and tools for measuring outcomes with regard to patients
  • Collected and analyzed data

Year Two: 2007/2008

Same as above
Disease Management Clinic
Sunset Park Family Health Center - Park Slope

  • Same responsibilities as above
  • Added two sites

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center

United Hospital Fund Grant, Program/Grant Coordinator - Consultant
Year One 2008/2009
Dialysis Unit, Dialysis Wait Room, and Department of Ambulatory Care Service/ OPD Clinic E

  • Collaborated with Nutrition Department and Pharmacy department on modifying ALMA training materials and created grant specific training modules and teaching tools
    • Various nutrition tools for patients in the Dialysis Unit
    • My Medicine List
  • Trained, coached/mentored and assisted with the performance evaluation of volunteers
  • Created various tools for tracking volunteers and patient outcomes
  • Developed Ice Breaker Exercises as informal pre-test tool and Review Exercises as informal post-test tool
  • Collected and analyzed data

Year Two 2009/2010 (same sites as listed above)
Adult Day Health Care Center (ADHCC)
Care Givers (sessions within the hospital and off-site as well)

  • Collaborated with Adult Day Health Care Center (ADHCC) staff to adapt materials for the day center’s registrants
  • Expanded the program to the ADHCC, Care Givers, etc. and adapted Health Literacy modules accordingly
  • Assisted with interviewing and screening Russian/English speaking and reading candidates prior to Train the Trainer sessions
  • Adapted program to “Taking the Show on the Road” format in order to reach care givers
  • Created video/DVD and Teach Back Training Manual to accompany the video/DVD in order for KJMC volunteer department staff and H.L. volunteers to keep the program running after the end of the grant