Chapter 12: At Eight-Three, Still Providing Service to Patients
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Description
Mrs. Harrison tells of her plan to accrue another 2,000 hours of volunteer time so she will be “neck in neck” with her late husband’s 10,000 hours. She notes that she has introduced people to MD Anderson. She ends by talking about what she has received from her years of service to the institution.
Identifier
HarrisonK_02_20130607_C12
Publication Date
6-7-2013
City
Houston, Texas
Interview Session
Topics Covered
The Interview Subject's Story - The Volunteer; The Philanthropist/Volunteer; Dedication to MD Anderson, to Patients, to Faculty/Staff; Offering Care, Compassion, Help; This is MD Anderson
Disciplines
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Oncology | Oral History
Transcript
Karen Harrison:
No. I will tell you that I do aim to get 2,000 more hours. I've got to get as many as Scoot had.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
And do you have a plan for how you're going to do that?
Karen Harrison:
I have a good friend whose husband is the bible teacher for the Rice college group. Her fourth child is going to Rice this fall, so she’s out of children, and I've told her I'm willing to take her as a volunteer to Anderson and teach her the ropes. So I'm hoping to have the good health and my good friend, and we’ll go volunteer.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
What does teaching her the ropes mean? If you were going to teach me the ropes, what would you teach me?
Karen Harrison:
Just introduce, and I know where the department is. Just show her around where the cafeteria is, whatever. Find out what jobs are available. My granddaughter belongs to an organization that does civic work, and they wanted to volunteer at an art project, and she said, “Well, we can’t do it, because they have so many people wanting to volunteer that they didn’t have any work for us.”
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Wow, that’s amazing and great, a good problem to have for MD Anderson.
Karen Harrison:
And she said, “And besides that, you didn’t ever tell us that there was an award in your name.”
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I thought that was cool when you mentioned that. Pretty neat. You know, I was curious. Did you ever run into a situation when you were a volunteer working with a patient that you really didn’t know, you weren’t sure how to handle, that you had to learn how to handle?
Karen Harrison:
I'm sure I mishandled lots.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I didn’t mean to accuse you but—
Karen Harrison:
I know that, but I'm sure I did. I mean, doesn’t everybody?
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
I'm wondering about the learning curve. I was curious if volunteers ever came to ask you, “Mrs. Harrison, how would you think I should handle this?”
Karen Harrison:
I don’t remember that they did. I don’t remember that they did.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Well, I bet watching you—maybe you were a great role model for being a volunteer. I'm sure you were.
Karen Harrison:
I don’t know, but I loved it. (End of Audio 3 Session 2)
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Just for the recorder, I had the recorder off for a couple of minutes while Mrs. Harrison dealt with something. I just had one more question I wanted to ask you unless there is something else you would like to add at this point. Anything else you want to say at this point?
Karen Harrison:
No, not that I know of.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Okay. I wanted to ask you what you thought—what do you think you've received from working as a volunteer and then also with the Children’s Art Project at MD Anderson? It’s a long relationship with an institution.
Karen Harrison:
I think I've received a real gift of doing something with my time that’s worth doing, and I have received different friendships, lifetime friendships, and a lot of respect for the institution.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Well, thanks very much. I want to thank you for talking to me again today. I really appreciate it.
Karen Harrison:
More than glad to do it. You already figured out I'm vocal.
Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:
Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Harrison, and I am turning off the recorder at about sixteen minutes after 2:00. (End of Audio 4 Session 2)
Recommended Citation
Harrison, Karen K. and Rosolowski, Tacey A. PhD, "Chapter 12: At Eight-Three, Still Providing Service to Patients" (2013). Interview Chapters. 883.
https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/883
Conditions Governing Access
Open
