Changing of the Guard

Sam Turner has been the only CEO at SMMC that I have known since being a volunteer. That being said, it has been a real pleasure being associated with the hospital under his leadership. I will miss his presence. I don't know if the SMMC Staff realized how well he treated the volunteers. A case in point was when I would meet him in the hallway and he would greet me by first name. That would take some doing when you consider the number of people he interacts with everyday. I also heard from other volunteers that he would greet them by first name. Sam treated us with respect and for that, Sam has high respect and esteem with the volunteers.

I would like to share a rather humorous experience I had with Sam. It was shortly after I became a volunteer and Sam didn't know me at that time. He only knew I was a volunteer from my shirt and ID badge. Sam had entered the hospital from the Emergency Department entrance and I was bringing a wheelchair to that location. I recognized Sam and knew he was the CEO. When he got close to me I asked him if he needed a wheelchair. He immediately told me no but the non-verbal communication went a little further. It was like, "I sure don't need a wheelchair, I'm not even close to needing it."As Sam passed me I turned and looked over my shoulder and couldn't help but notice that his gait was stronger and more assertive.

For me, Sam will always be at SMMC through our memories. In my mind, he was a distinguished compassionate leader.

John Haynes

John Haynes, MS, MBA, is a retired school psychologist and a current volunteer at Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC). He served as a Hospital Corpsman at the US Naval Academy and served on the USS Sanctuary Hospital ship in Vietnam. In addition to his volunteer work at SMMC, he's actively involved in the community through the Shawnee Kiwanis Club and the Kansas Trails Council. His interests vary from backpacking and mountain biking to investment analysis and business management. He and his wife have two sons.