Volunteer Profiles

Rose Dunne

With her mother as a role model, Rose Dunne quietly goes about helping others and not bragging about what she does. Growing up with seven brothers and three sisters, Rose watched her mother take care of her family and relatives, in addition to spending many hours assisting those in need at her church. Thus, Rose was surprised Health S.E.T. wanted to thank her in a special way by featuring her in an article on volunteers.

After spending four decades working in hospitals in Canada, Maine, South Dakota, and Colorado, Rose now devotes her free time to various organizations as a volunteer. She has been a nurse at the Health Promotion Clinics for nine years. Rose especially enjoys the interaction of direct patient care at Health S.E.T., as this kind of contact was not possible during her years as a floor nurse. At Health S.E.T.'s 14 clinic sites, nurses not only provide wellness checks but also counseling and referrals. Clients become friends, and they welcome the nurses' monthly visits.

In addition to spending one morning a week at the Health Promotion Clinics, Rose volunteers

with Senior Solutions in the R.S.V.P. and food bank programs. She looks forward to the respite services she provides each week for a woman who has full care for her husband, who has Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and for her 99 year old mother. Rose feels this relief time for caregivers is "so needed." She also answers phones one afternoon a week at Senior Hub, an organization whose services include Meals on Wheels.

As Rose learned from her mother by example, two of her daughters, living in Nebraska and Colorado, have followed her into the health care profession. Another daughter has an embroidery business in Dallas.

Echoing the experiences of other volunteers, Rose says she receives more than she gives and that, after retirement, Health S.E.T. "revived me." While Rose doesn't seek recognition for her volunteer work, Health S.E.T. and the many people she serves are grateful for her caring presence.

Betty Poitras

For 55 years, Betty Poitras has devoted her life to serving others as a nurse. A Visiting Nurse for the City and County of Denver for 15 years, she worked primarily with elderly patients. Betty then became the only registered nurse in a West Denver Teen Clinic where she was responsible for a wide variety of health-related services, from lab work to counseling. After she retired, Betty continued to share her nursing skills, this time with Health S.E.T.

A dedicated volunteer and staff member with Health S.E.T. since its inception in July of 1988, Betty first became involved through her husband, Paul, who was a board member at Francis Heights/Clare Gardens when Sr. Margaret Kasper, BVM, was administrator. Sr. Margaret invited Betty to join the first group of health care professionals to staff the clinic at Thomas Bean Towers. For the next year and one-half, Betty was a volunteer at the clinic. Then a staff position opened up, and she spent the next 12 years as a nurse, three days a week, in the ever-expanding network of senior high-rise buildings Health S.E.T. serves.

When Betty retired for a second time in the fall of 2001, her status returned to that of volunteer. She now spends one morning a month at the Francis Heights clinic. There she checks blood pressures, discusses medications, and provides individualized care to residents. In the process of talking with clients, she is able to find out how they are feeling and if there has been a recent change in their health. Sometimes, the nurses discover a problem that requires immediate attention, and the client is referred to a physician.

As an added benefit, the elderly who use the clinic come to socialize, as well as have their health monitored, Betty has observed. Since the clinic is open only one morning a month, clients take the opportunity to catch up with one another on what has happened since their last visit.

At home, Betty enjoys life with her husband, an avid bicyclist who has toured in many states. During the summer months, she likes to garden and plant flowers. And, after almost 17 years with Health S.E.T., Betty still looks forward to her work in the clinics.