Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — After a three-year pause during the pandemic, the Cottage Health Volunteer Awards Luncheon was back in person this past April at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
Over the past year, 450 Cottage volunteers have donated close to 95,000 hours of service at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital.
Cottage volunteers serve across nearly every department, including Emergency, Surgery, Intensive Care, Physical Therapy, Orthopedics and Wound Care.
Ron Werft, President & CEO of Cottage Health, praised the vital work of volunteers during the awards luncheon with 150 volunteers in attendance.
“As volunteers, you have chosen to generously share your gifts, and we are all better because of you,” Mr. Werft said. “Your service is seen through every area of Cottage Health, and you are truly part of the care team.”
Special recognition and a lifetime recognition award were presented to Toni Straka for her 62 years and 15,578 hours of volunteer service at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
“Being at Cottage is a highlight of my week,” Ms. Straka said. “I look forward to meeting and working with wonderful people. Whether it is an easy day or one with many challenges, my goal is to leave with a smile on my face to mirror the smile of others..”
Cottage also awarded five $3,000 academic scholarships to Santa Ynez Valley High School students who plan to pursue their dreams of careers in healthcare. The recipients were Gabriel Rodriguez, Chase Sylvia, Diana Corona, Allison Linane and Jazmin Gonzalez Salinas.
About Cottage Health cottagehealth.org
The not-for-profit Cottage Health is the leader in providing advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. Specialties include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Hospital. The Cottage Health medical staff is comprised of more than 700 physicians, many with subspecialties typically found only at university medical centers. Last year, the Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided inpatient care for 19,000 people, treated 81,000 patients through their 24-hour emergency departments and helped deliver 2,000 newborns. Cottage Health also offers Cottage Urgent Care Centers throughout the tri-counties, as well as 24-hour access to providers via Cottage Virtual Care, an online service for common conditions.