Press Release

Lynn Smith to Chair AHA's Committee on Volunteers

WASHINGTON (February 11, 2016) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Lynn Smith, auxilian at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs in Hot Springs, Ark. will chair the AHA's 2016 Committee on Volunteers.

The Committee on Volunteers (COV), a specialty committee of the board, is concerned with the roles, responsibilities and services of organized volunteers and auxilians, as well as the community perspective they provide for the health care field. The committee supports the AHA mission and policy agenda by providing input into the AHA policy development process. The COV participates in AHA grassroots advocacy, provides the association with the benefit of its community perspective on issues related to the health care field, and serves as the selection committee for the AHA's Hospital Awards for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE Awards).

Smith currently volunteers in the gift shop at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs after recently moving to central Arkansas. Previously, Smith served as president of the Arkansas Hospital Auxiliary Association (AHAA) where she was instrumental in leading the AHAA board to “go green” and to establish an AHAA website. In 2008, the AHAA elected her as state newsletter editor. Smith also served on the Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA) board and has been a member of the Past Presidents Advisory Committee and the state Handbook Committee.

Smith began her volunteer career in 2001 at Medical Center of South Arkansas (MCSA) in El Dorado, Ark., where she was newsletter editor, secretary, vice president and president of the auxiliary. She also was appointed to the MCSA Auxiliary Board and served on both the Scholarship and Membership Committees.

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About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.