Trauma Intervention Program volunteer is KNX Hero of the Week
UCI Health Patient Relations Manager Stefanie Yoshii comforts others in their most difficult moments
IN THE NEWS: Stefanie Yoshii, the patient relations manager at UCI Health, was recently featured as KNX’s Hero of the Week for her work managing the Trauma Intervention Program at UCI Health (TIP).
Yoshii is there to offer a comforting presence during some of the most difficult moments someone can face.
“They're inviting you into a space where they're mourning a loved one or getting ready to mourn a loved one, and so you just have to consider it as a sacred opportunity to be invited into. You go in just being available to whatever situation, and it's just your presence. I mean, that's what's so important.”
Becoming a volunteer at the Trauma Intervention Program of Orange County involves a 55-hour training, an internship and supervision.
Yoshii encourages anyone considering this special volunteer role to sign up and learn more.
“It's such a pleasure to be able to help other people. The thank you…you don't even need words. You just know that they're so appreciative of you being there.”
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, its newest facility, UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.