Barbara Potter

Volunteers in Medicine volunteer Barbara Potter was awarded the prestigious Ivy Summerlee Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award at a special luncheon and awards ceremony attended by more than 200 guests on March 24th at the main library in downtown Jacksonville.

The award was established by Ted Summerlee in honor of his wife, Ivy who was an outstanding RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) volunteer in our community for many years. Recipients of the award must be active senior volunteers within the community and exemplify the characteristics that emulate the spirit of volunteerism that made Ivy Summerlee a model volunteer. The recognition earned Potter a cash award of $150 and an additional gift of $600 for Volunteers in Medicine.

Since joining the organization just three years ago, Potter has recorded an impressive 550 cumulative volunteer hours at Volunteer’s in Medicine’s free downtown clinic earning her the prestigious first-place honor. In that capacity, Potter’s responsibilities include scheduling patient appointments and updating medical records, answering patient concerns, and at times simply lending a sympathetic ear to patients who are struggling with life’s everyday challenges. Potter, along with more than 230 other healthcare and non-clinical volunteers, has been providing vital volunteer services to northeast Florida’s working, low-income and insured individuals and families since 2003 with the goal of keeping them healthy, employed, and out of our hospital emergency rooms.

“We are so fortunate to have Barbara as a volunteer within our organization. She is dedicated, well-loved by her peers and our patients, and she can always be counted on to pitch in when needed,” stated Volunteers in Medicine Director of Volunteer Services Catie Wallace. “As an organization that relies heavily on the support of volunteers, Barbara’s generous commitment of time, her ability to multi-task and perform a variety of duties, make her a tremendous asset,” she concluded.