top of page
daydigginsnichole

Sharon and Diane, our volunteer dream team Mondays in Faribault


Meet Sharon and Diane, our dynamic volunteer nurse and interpreter duo who make sure our busy Monday clinics flow, and our patients get top-quality care! When Diane Pearsall isn’t teaching Spanish at Carleton College, she’s using her language skills to help HealthFinders’ patients get the care they need. On any given day, often 75% of patients may need an interpreter. On Mondays, you can find Diane working as an interpreter in the Faribault clinic with RN Sharon Kaiser Miller. She often translates for patients during consultations, as well as interpreting for the diabetes program. Diane, who has been volunteering with HFC for six years, acts as the voice between patients and medical staff. Working with Sharon and other HFC professionals has shown her the injustices that exist in the U.S. healthcare system. She says HFC is a “godsend for people in Rice County without insurance.” Sharon is an oncology nurse passionate about social justice. She contributes to HFC because she believes it is an organization that shares her belief that healthcare is a basic human right. She loves HFC’s use of community health workers and the insight they bring, saying the work she does “is exponentially greater and more effective with our community health workers.” While the medical field can often be grim, these women have seen success stories that motivate them to continue volunteering. Diane cites a time when she translated for a young boy with a long history of diabetes, often meaning a bleak future. After his tests came back, it was Diane who was able to tell him that his hemoglobin levels were low enough to make him not even pre-diabetic. Both Sharon and Diane agree that patients whose hard work pay off and whom they are able to tell have improved make up for times when the news is less pleasant. Sharon and Diane often work as a team with Emily Carroll, CNP, and have been able to see the growth of HFC from one small clinic in Dundas to spaces in both Northfield and Faribault. They cite how this expansion has led to more creative workers at HFC, who are able find services, money, and resources anywhere. The team has found a HFC a “great place to work,” and hope to see it continue to grow and get stronger. Thank you to Sharon & Diane, whose dedication make HealthFinders possible!

4 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page