Meet Our Volunteers: Haakon Dagsvik

It’s National Volunteer Week, a time to recognize, celebrate and thank the volunteers who contribute to our Hospital and Health Sciences Foundation.

Haakon Dagsvik is a volunteer with the Wayfinding program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

Haakon has completed nearly 1,000 hours of volunteer time at TBRHSC since 2013. He began volunteering shortly after he retired from the Rehab Transport Program where he would take patients to and from their rehabilitation appointments. Being able to talk to patients and hear their stories while getting to move around the Hospital was what attracted him to the role.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Haakon volunteered as a courier, making light deliveries throughout the Hospital, but transitioned to a wayfinder role upon returning in 2020.

Based at the main entrance of our Hospital, wayfinding volunteers have been helping to create a positive and welcoming first impression at our Hospital to all patients and care partners by:

• greeting out-patients, visitors, and staff;
• providing directions to out-patients or visitors and personally escorting them, if needed;
• transporting out-patients or visitors by wheelchair, as required;
• delivering items for patients to the nursing stations;
• locating, sanitizing, and returning wheelchairs to the main lobby.

Haakon’s favourite thing about volunteering at TBRHSC is getting to meet a lot of interesting people while helping out our community. “It’s a great way to stay busy while still making a positive impact for our city,” says Haakon.

Haakon has volunteered with other organizations over the years but his tenure at TBRHSC has lasted by far the longest. “Choose a volunteer role that you enjoy while being surrounded with good people. That’s what has kept me coming back for so many years,” says Haakon.

Our Hospital is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers like Haakon.