January 29, 2025
West Columbia, S.C. – Lexington Medical Center has launched a new volunteer program for retired nurses. The Nightingales is a volunteer opportunity for retired nurses aimed to help improve patient safety. Lexington Medical Center is currently accepting volunteers.
This Nightingales volunteer program is open to retirees from all fields of nursing. Volunteers help check clinical supplies throughout the unit, assemble admission kits, keep stock of rooms to meet patient needs, and spend time with the patients.
“The Nightingale volunteers are important members of our network of care,” said Ludmila Tsyplakova, Lexington Medical Center Assistant Director of Nursing. “They help our staff better serve our patients and allow retired nurses to stay active in their communities while putting their valuable clinical experience to use.”
The program has proven to reduce patient falls and increase patient satisfaction when it was piloted in early fall 2024. The number of falls on units decreased by half because of the Nightingales volunteer program proving that these types of volunteers are important to prevent falls in high-risk patients.
“I love going the extra mile for patients — it feels like we really make a difference in the community we serve,” said Kim Oakley Masters, Retired Nurse Practitioner.
For opportunities to volunteer as a Nightingale, contact Lexington Medical Center’s Volunteer Services department at (803)-791-2573.
Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. The hospital was ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro by U.S. News & World Report, was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare, and was the first hospital in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Lexington Health Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and nearly 80 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries.
