Heritage Society Member Profile: Melody Hansen
Nursing has shaped Melody Hansen’s life; she’s spent many years in a hospital setting and couldn’t be happier. Melody is not only a valued member of the Swedish Hospital Volunteer Team but also a member of our Heritage Society, thanks to a generous gift to Swedish in her estate plan. With her future gift Melody is helping to ensure that the hospital will continue to be a place of education and healing for the next generation.
The call of nursing runs deep through Melody’s blood. Upon graduating high school, Melody immediately started nursing school at Ravenswood Hospital, where she found her life’s passion. Upon graduation, she was hired as a staff nurse at Ravenswood Hospital and stayed for another 45 years, working in a variety of nursing and supervisory positions. “I love nursing,” Melody explains. “I was born at Ravenswood Hospital, went to nursing school there and would have stayed there the rest of my life if not for its closing in 2002.”
When Ravenswood Hospital closed, Melody really missed the patients and her life’s purpose. She promptly accepted a position at Kindred Healthcare, where she worked as a Nurse Manager for another 7 years. Melody retired from nursing in 2010, but couldn’t stop thinking about ways to help others and get back into the hospital setting.
Luckily for Swedish Hospital, Melody lives nearby. As Melody explains, “I retired in the winter and by summer I wanted to go back to the hospital, that was my life. Swedish was close to home and I was a member of the Covenant Church, so I felt a connection with the hospital.” In 2011, she began volunteering for Swedish and has become an important member of the Volunteer Department over the past 9 years. You can find Melody working every Monday in Wound Care, and every Thursday in the Education Department.
When asked what she enjoys most about volunteering at Swedish, Melody is quick to respond, “the staff are very appreciative for what you do, so it makes it very pleasant to work here. I understand how busy the medical and administrative staff are, so I know that anything I do for them is helping. I like to know that I’m making their day less stressful and their life a little easier and I enjoy getting up and having a purpose.”
Melody’s generosity to Swedish doesn’t end with her volunteer service. Melody is also a member of the Swedish Hospital Foundation Heritage Society, a group of loyal donors who name the hospital as a beneficiary in their estate plans. When asked why she plans on giving a gift for the future, Melody explains, “I am giving because I believe in the institution. I see what good things are being done and how committed the doctors and staff are to the patients. I also believe in the programs that the Foundation has supported and fostered. There is a family feel here at Swedish; it feels warm and inviting, and you don’t find that everywhere. I think that the programs you have created are compassionate and care about those less fortunate, and I want to see those continue.”
To learn more about the Heritage Society and planned giving, contact the Foundation team at (773) 293-5121, email us at schfoundation@schosp.org, or visit the planned giving website.