Brenda Mihan visits with Princeton HealthCare System president and CEO Barry S. Rabner during a surprise reception at University Medical Center of Princeton. She has been volunteering at the hospital for 50 years.
Princeton HealthCare System honored a Princeton Junction resident for 50 years of volunteering.
When Brenda Mihan volunteered for her first shift at Princeton Hospital in 1964, the Beatles were taking the country by storm and Lyndon Baines Johnson was in the White House. Today-50 years, eight presidents and too many pop stars to count later-she remains a fixture at the hospital, now known as University Medical Center of Princeton.
When the hospital moved, in May 2012, from its original Princeton location to a new facility in Plainsboro, Mihan made the trip as well, and she maintains a regular presence at the reception desk and in the UMCP Medical Library.
“I don’t know what else I would do,” she said in a statement. “Volunteering is something I’ve always done, through the Junior League [of Greater Princeton] and my church, and volunteering at the hospital has been such a great experience. I’ve met so many interesting people over the years.”
Princeton HealthCare System held a surprise reception in the Medical Library recently to mark Mihan’s 50-year milestone.
Among those on hand to thank Mihan for her service were president and CEO Barry S. Rabner, vice president for government and community affairs Pam Hersh, VP of human resources Marcia Telthorster and director of volunteer services Edward Callahan.
“When people serve, they are also donating their talent and energy. Brenda’s service is no exception,” Callahan said in a statement. “We’ll never be able to count all of the ways in which she helped, however, her 50 years of dedication and service to our patients and their families prove that one person can truly make a difference.”
Mihan is a member of the 5 & 20 Club at PHCS, which recognizes adult volunteers who have served 5,000 or more hours or at least 20 years.
She has clocked more than 8,000 hours in her years volunteering at the hospital. Her goal is to ultimately reach 10,000 hours.
The Volunteer Program provides support to UMCP and other units of PHCS, with approximately 400 volunteers-including adults, college students and teens-serving on a regular basis.
In 2013, PHCS volunteers contributed approximately 60,000 hours of service. PHCS has scheduled a series of events to honor its volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 6 through 12.
Applications are being accepted from college students and adults seeking volunteer opportunities.
More information is online at princetonhcs.org/volunteers.
,
