Volunteers see Ilene’s radiant smile in the clinic whenever they clock in for their shift.
The Ilene Goodman award is presented to one volunteer every year at our Volunteer of the Year Awards in December.
Ilene, together with her husband Milton, was a volunteer who was connected with CommunityHealth almost from the beginning of its existence. The Goodmans would be in the clinic volunteering once a week, every week, and continued that way for many years. Ilene often supported the Front Desk team, and could be found in the lounge, where she would organize medical records (in the days of paper charts!) for the clinic.
Read more about Dr. Milt Goodman and his over 20 years of devoted service!
It wasn’t just the amount of hours Ilene contributed that set her apart, though – it was her attitude. She was “the quintessential volunteer,” recalled CommunityHealth Medical Director, Dr. Babs Waldman. Ilene’s warm and welcoming nature showed through in her connections with the staff and other volunteers. She knew almost everyone who came through the clinic and was always sure to ask how their families were doing and what was new in their lives.
Most of all, Ilene was always willing to step in and do whatever was needed in that moment. Emily Hendel, CommunityHealth’s Director of Clinical Services, said that no task was too big or too small for Ilene – she was always asking “what more can I do?”
The Ilene Goodman award is given to a volunteer who embodies the spirit of “what more can I do?” In 2022, that volunteer was Dr. Brian LaMoreaux.
Dr. LaMoreaux has been a volunteer Rheumatologist with CommunityHealth since August of 2018, and in that time he has given well over 500 hours of service. He has made it a priority to be in the clinic every Tuesday morning without fail and has even negotiated that time as a benefit with his employer.
Even throughout the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. LaMoreaux never faltered in his commitment to CommunityHealth. Outside of clinic time, he has procured and donated valuable medications whenever he sees a need.
Dr. LaMoreaux has served over 500 hours with CommunityHealth since 2018.
Ana Sanchez, one of our clinic coordinators, works with Dr. LaMoreaux every week during clinic. She says “Dr. LaMoreaux is one of the most incredible providers that I know. If I could describe him in only one word, it would be kind. He truly cares for the whole well-being of his patients from getting the right medication to getting the proper follow-ups. He has moved his schedule around to accommodate patients’ work needs, because he knows that his patients cannot lose any workdays to come back for a follow up as often as necessary. He also accommodates overbooks almost every time he is in clinic. Dr. LaMoreaux is also an incredible teacher to the residents in training and he is always providing guidance and on the spot consults not only for rheumatology, but for general medicine. We all love and respect Dr. LaMoreaux and it is an honor to have him every Tuesday morning.”
It isn’t just the staff that Dr. LaMoreaux has made an impact on, either. Like Ilene, he has made connections with volunteers across the clinic, and is always willing to take the time to get to know a new face. He has had a huge influence on many of our providers in training, like Mina Kerolos, a resident from Rush Medical College. Mina said that “Dr. LaMoreaux is someone I really aspire to be like. He is always seeking to help and teach. Whenever he is not seeing patients, he would bring little pearls of wisdom whether in life or medicine. And whenever he is seeing patients, he would always grab one of us residents to see a cool physical exam finding or do bedside teaching. More importantly, I witness the way he interacts with his patients and staff with patience and kindness, something I will always look up to.”
From all of us at CommunityHealth, thank you to Dr. LaMoreaux for all that you do. We are so much richer for having you on our team.
Watch Dr. LaMoreaux receive the Ilene Goodman award at the 2022 Volunteer of the Year Awards Ceremony!