Providing Peace in Crisis: A Medical Volunteer Feature

UGM received a remarkable gift when Nurse Practitioner Lorna Schumann joined the Medical Clinics as a volunteer.

Having always been interested in helping people in times of crisis, Lorna pursued an education in nursing right out of high school. She started her 60-year career in a major burn center in Sacramento. After receiving her master’s as a clinical nurse specialist, Lorna and her husband moved to Idaho. For the next 33 years, she worked at Washington State University where she launched the nurse practitioner program. Today, she functions as chairwoman of the certification board for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

At the age where many would choose retirement, Lorna is nowhere near done helping people find peace in their turmoil. In 2016, she discovered UGM’s Medical Clinics. “I wanted to be a part of the Christian environment. If you’re working in a big group, you don’t see changed lives. You just treat ‘em and street ‘em. Here, you get to help them find change.”

Today, Lorna gives between one and three days of her week to guests at UGM’s Shelters. She has served at all four Shelter Clinics but has settled mostly at the Crisis Shelter. “We start seeing patients at 11:00 and work until 4:00. We see as many as 18 people in a shift. Many of them have terrible stories of what has happened to them. We talk through their stories, let them tell us what’s going on in their lives.”

“We talk through their stories,

let them tell us what’s going on

in their lives.”

Lorna says the women come with all sorts of medical issues. “We have a podiatrist who volunteers, we have physical therapy, we have orthopedics, cardiology. Women are able to get the appointments they need.”

Without medical volunteers, UGM Clinics would not be able to meet all the needs of our guests. Volunteers sacrifice their time, share the burdens of our guests, and create calm in the middle of their storms. Lorna’s gift of medical expertise has positively impacted hundreds of women in some of the darkest days of their lives. “It’s worth it,” she says. “It’s a real blessing to see the women change and grow. Even if you just have 3-4 hours a month, it’s worth it.”

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