Walking into a patient room, he pulls a banana out of the pocket of his uniform jacket, and then another and another. As the bananas magically multiply, the mood in the room starts to shift and there are giggles and smiles from the patient and family.

“Every room is different, every family is different,” Heitkam said. “As a performer, I hope they like what I'm doing. It makes me so happy when they laugh or when they smile.”

Maureen Chin, MSN, RN, associate director of Pediatrics, knows how important these visits can be.

“When you're in the hospital, it can get very boring for kids, especially when a patient is here for many days,” Chin said. “Having Patrick come in and do some magic tricks is a very nice distraction, and patients love it. They ask, ‘Is he coming back again today?’”

Heitkam has a healthy repertoire of tricks that can be done at the bedside, including card and rope tricks. And then there’s his fan favorite: making a sponge bunny multiply into many bunnies inside a patient’s closed fist.

“He made me giggle and laugh,” said Kaylee De La Riva, 12, who was recovering from a kidney transplant. “And I was happy and my mom and aunt were impressed too, and I was impressed.”

Heitkam is glad his magic has been good medicine for patients and their families.

“But it's also been therapeutic for me,” Heitkam said. “I hope the kids like it, but I'm probably getting more out of it than they are because it just gives me so much perspective in my own life.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Spread Joy by Helping Others This Holiday Season

New volunteers are always welcome and needed, said Michele Prince, director of Volunteer Services for Cedars-Sinai.

“Last year, volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of service,” Prince said. “Along with providing emotional support to our patients, visitors, and staff, they are often an extra set of hands for our busy clinicians, saving them time to do higher-level clinical tasks.”

Jody Simon and Stuart Smith are two of the medical center’s 3,600 volunteers. They both say they receive far more than they give.

Simon began her volunteer service at the medical center’s flower delivery desk 10 years ago. During her three-hour shifts, she helped manage the intake of all manner of bouquets—flowers, fruit and balloons—that friends and family sent to patients.

“It was so busy, it would take three of us to handle the desk and deliveries to patient rooms,” said Simon.

Since then, she’s juggled a wide range of duties, alternating between the Beverlywood main campus and Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Some days, Simon calls patients to confirm appointments. Other days, she serves as the legally mandated layperson on the Institutional Review Board to make sure patients participating in clinical trials are fully consented.

Her favorite volunteer post? The Emergency Department. There, she admittedly encounters fewer smiles than at other posts, but relishes the same patient gratitude for having offered a sympathetic ear, a status update or the occasional cup of water and blanket. Her bedside manner brings such comfort and positivity to patients that she earned a Circle of Friends pin—one of Cedars-Sinai’s highest honors--after an anonymous patient donated in her honor.

“It’s my most prized possession and I wear it proudly,” said Simon.

She recalls the day a simple gesture brought one emergency patient to tears. “I wrapped a blanket around her as she awaited treatment, and she started to cry,” Simon said.“ She said, ‘I’m a single mom. No one ever takes care of me. Thank you.’”  

Cedars-Sinai also holds a special place in Simon’s heart for personal reasons. Both she and her mother were born at the former Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. All three of her children were born at Cedars-Sinai, and her aunt and grandmother both have ties to the medical center, dating back the late 1970s.

Stuart Smith's history with Cedars-Sinai also could fill the pages of a book. Until this past February, and for more than 42 years before that, he worked as a Cedars-Sinai microbiologist in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. His meticulous work focused on identifying bacteria growing in clinical patient cultures, and helped determine the appropriate antibiotics to treat infections. Smith, a clinical laboratory scientist, was on the frontline in the Microbiology lab during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, often requiring 12- and 13-hour days.

Over the years, Smith volunteered to play piano every Tuesday during his lunch break—standards and show tunes, mostly—for visitors in the Plaza Lobby. His shy personality meant he appreciated any recognition, but was challenged by it.

"I never wanted to be the center of attention," said Smith. "It always made me very self-conscious when people would clap or acknowledge me because I then realized, they're actually listening to me."

Smith knows that music can offer comfort during difficult times. Once, as he played, a visitor passing through the lobby paused to listen, clearly touched by the melody. Smith later learned the song had been a favorite of the man's mother—a song he hadn't heard since before she'd passed away.  "That was really moving for me," he said.

For more information on joining the Volunteer Services program at Cedars-Sinai, click the link to complete the online application.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: A Tale of Two Cedars-Sinai Volunteers

Zoie and Midori Punzalan, 20, are both studying to become registered nurses, and they are supplementing their schoolwork with the hands-on experience they are earning as Cedars-Sinai volunteers.

The twins arrive at Cedars-Sinai when it’s still dark outside, waking at 3:30 a.m. at their Torrance home.

“They give of themselves incredibly,” said Michele Prince, Cedars-Sinai’s director of Volunteer Services. “They come in for the morning shift at 5 a.m. They're getting up way before dawn and coming all the way here to serve the hospital.”

The two work on separate nursing floors, helping nurses start their day by filling supplies, cleaning workstations and assisting with patient requests.

“It doesn’t even feel like a job or a duty,” said Zoie Punzalan. “It feels like a calling for us. It makes us feel good to be here every time.”

Midori Punzalan said that when her alarm goes off before dawn, she reminds herself that someone at the hospital needs her. “They are here and they need our help,” she said.

Zoie and Midori are members of a special program called Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB), a program for those who are interested in careers in healthcare.

“The volunteers are placed on nursing units to be exposed to the work of nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals and see a wide variety of careers they can choose from,” Prince said.

Both Punzalan twins have nursing mentors who encourage them on their journey to healthcare careers. And both say they are learning skills that will assist them in the future. For now, though, they particularly enjoy interacting with patients.

“I love going into patient rooms and asking how they are doing and if they need anything,” Zoie said.

Said Midori: “I’m pretty sure it’s going to help me be more resilient and more attentive to patient needs.”

Being identical, and dressed in the same volunteer uniform, poses some challenges for the two. They are often confused for one another and must frequently reintroduce themselves to staff members and patients.

“I make sure to say, ‘I’m Midori, and I have a twin named Zoie,’” Midori said. But the two are used to the mix-ups, and being identical makes them stand out.

The twins dream of earning their nursing degrees and coming back to Cedars-Sinai one day as nurses. And it could happen, Prince said.

“There are 1,200 Cedars-Sinai employees who were once volunteers,” Prince said, “and perhaps Zoie and Midori will be among them one day.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Volunteering at Cedars-Sinai—Needed, Always Valued

The then-teenager began volunteering on Saturdays at Cedars-Sinai. The four-hour shifts took away from the high-achiever’s rare downtime—especially with her demanding college schedule—but it never felt like much of a sacrifice to Chua. “I loved coming to volunteer,” she said. “I really enjoyed the connections I had with the nursing staff, but also the patients.”

Then in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Health and safety mandates called for all volunteers to stop reporting in-person until further notice. Although those restrictions were lifted soon after the COVID-19 vaccines became widely available, only about 20% of volunteers who served before the pandemic, returned. The workforce is now largely composed of newer volunteers.

Michele Prince, director of Volunteer Services at Cedars-Sinai, says this fall and winter, her team hopes to build back the medical center’s volunteer ranks. Her optimism stems from seeing more Angelenos increase their social activities, and she hopes that translates to a boost in volunteerism.

“Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and help your community,” Prince said. “Whether you want to play a musical instrument for our patients or help patient care professionals, our team loves to find that perfect fit for both the volunteer and for Cedars-Sinai.” 

The greatest need for volunteers is on weekday mornings, though most time preferences can be accommodated. Prince’s team works to match volunteers of all ages—including high school and college students—to roles that meet their interests and complement their career paths.

“Cedars-Sinai felt the absence of our volunteers during the early days of the pandemic, and we were, and continue to be, so grateful to those who have returned,” Prince said.

Chua was part of that small group of returning volunteers and, as she finished college and began applying to medical school, she realized how much she had learned. Through the volunteer program, she was able to observe procedures, check patient and visitor temperatures, accompany nurses as they made rounds and keep cancer patients company with a friendly game of cards.

The hands-on training in patient areas worked to Chua’s advantage on med school applications. Her move to San Francisco meant bracing herself to say goodbye to the Cedars-Sinai staff members who had nurtured her scientific spark and the patients who reinforced the reasons she wanted to become a doctor.

"It’s been an extreme privilege to volunteer, and I’m so grateful for the experience,” Chua said. "I enjoyed learning about patient care from the oncology medical staff most of all, and seeing how they build relationships with patients and their loved ones."

Leslie Maisel, a retiree, felt that same kind of gratitude when she and her 9-year-old standard poodle, Gracie, were able to return to the POOCH (Pets Offering Ongoing Care and Healing) Program.

Maisel’s history with Cedars-Sinai dates back to the day her late mother, Zoe Maisel, delivered her at the former Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. Her late father, Milton Maisel, MD, was a contracted oral surgeon at the hospital for four decades, starting in the 1960s. Her late grandmother, Esther Swartz, volunteered in the 1950s.

Maisel and Gracie resumed their two-hour shifts once pandemic restrictions were eased, to again bring comfort, joy and healing to patients. “There have been instances where Gracie sat on a patient’s bed and I’ve watched their blood pressure drop to a healthier level,” said Maisel, who began volunteering in 2018.

“We’re fortunate to see, firsthand, the incredible impact of our volunteers—both in uplifting our patients and lending a hand with day-to-day tasks,” said Sheila Quintana, program administrator for Volunteer Services. “Both Leslie and Katherine have made such a difference through their commitments.”

Click here for information on how to sign up for the Cedars-Sinai Volunteer Services program.  

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Volunteering at Cedars-Sinai—Always Needed, Always Valued

Shirley Harkavy was first. The 96-year-old from Los Angeles, now the medical center’s oldest volunteer, joined in 1981. For the first decade or so, she was one of the volunteers who helped patients awaiting heart surgery.

“We were a very close-knit family,” said Harkavy, of her fellow volunteers. “Volunteering was more than just giving back; it was a whole community.”

Harkavy’s daughter, Marcie Rees, joined the volunteer ranks after she retired as a dental hygienist. 

“I had the time and I think it was always instilled in us that you give back,” Rees said. “That’s just how we were brought up. You always give back. We raised our kids the same way.”

In fact, Rees’ son, Jordan Rees, MD, was a student volunteer at Cedars-Sinai before he went to medical school. These days, the busy pulmonologist gets a kick out of bumping into his mother and grandmother in the halls of the hospital.

“Volunteering helped inspire me to go into medicine, and here I am now,” he said. “It’s kind of full circle to be here, back at Cedars-Sinai.”

The medical center has room for volunteers of all ages, from students to older adults, said Michele Prince, director of Volunteer Services, and there are opportunities to fit many interests. Some volunteers play piano in the lobby; others work in the gift shop or deliver flowers to patients. There are volunteers who help feed patients, and those who answer questions at information desks. Marcie Rees is part of the Barbara Cowen POOCH (Pets Offering Ongoing Care and Healing) Program in which volunteers bring their well-trained dogs to visit with patients and staff. Rees’ black Labrador, Olive, has a talent for comforting patients.  

“Olive gives them unconditional love,” Rees said. “A lot of patients from all over the world and the country are here missing their own pets, and Olive will go on the bed with them and cuddle, and it helps the patient take their mind off of what they’re feeling.” 

The hospital needs more volunteers, including POOCH volunteers, and shifts are typically four hours, once a week. Prince said volunteering is a good fit with newly retired people or empty-nesters, who can find a community and sense of purpose at Cedars-Sinai.  

“Many say they gain more than they give as volunteers,” Prince said.  “When they put on that light blue jacket, they find a sense of purpose.” 

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Volunteering at Cedars-Sinai--Always Needed, Always Valued