by Mary Jo Blackwood, American Red Cross
Patricia Cook isn’t engaged unless she is fully engaged. And that means always having something to do that makes the world a better and safer place. Now that her four children have left the nest and are out doing their own things, she is free to help out in a variety of ways.
This nurse has a lot of irons in the fire. Besides having her own business as a consultant teaching doctors and nurses about proper medical documentation, she does mission work for her church, holding clinics in other countries.
However, and this is very good news for the American Red Cross, she serves as the Red Cross Health Services Lead for Western Colorado, supporting nurses and other health professionals in fifteen counties.
“I love creating relationships with other volunteers. They are so excited to be on board and I love talking with them about their passions and what we have that’s a good fit. I try to talk to all of them weekly or monthly, depending on their needs and comfort level with technology.”
She does ZOOM meetings and educational how-to sessions to keep them up to speed on Red Cross procedures and initiatives, particularly in this time of coronavirus restrictions. Her training in documentation has helped her help Red Cross volunteers make sure our documentation is accurate, as well. “It is amazing how we keep up with the needs of our clients and do it in a socially conscious way. The gratitude from clients is overwhelming and really keeps me engaged.”
Patricia’s involvement with the American Red Cross started in 2009 and was further cemented when she was deployed for the Joplin, Missouri tornadoes in 2011, while she was living in the Greater Ozarks area. She took the nurse training and was actually the first nurse on the scene in Joplin. Five years ago, she relocated to Western Colorado and is now based out of Grand Junction.
After moving, she kept volunteering and even got her twin sister Deborah McRae involved in sheltering. Although Deborah lives in Chandler, AZ, she continues to work with the Red Cross, too.
Patricia is part of the Western Slopes and Front Range teams for level-two disasters, incorporating the Covid-19 work set. She is engaged in training the division response management team for those level-two disasters and works with the Disaster Action Teams on local disasters. Her most recent deployment was the floods in Texas.
When asked how much time she devotes to Red Cross, she says anywhere from five to 25 hours a week, depending on the project. She stands ready to help where needed, and feels a real ownership for the responsibilities she has to protect the citizens of Western Colorado and her volunteer staff.
Great write up. What wonderful work you are doing, keep doing what you are great at. Congratulations Patricia ‼️
I learned so much from you in Texas. Thanks for sending me the article. It’s great hearing from you. I hope you both are staying healthy & safe.