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New Patient Committee |
With the retirement of Patient Committee Chair Ernie Clayton, volunteer leadership of the Patient Committee changed hands in June. Now co-chairing the committee are Patricia Barget and Rodger Goodacre, both liver recipients.
Active on the committee for the past several years, Ms. Barget and Mr. Goodacre hope their joint efforts will strengthen programming and regular contact with other transplant patients. “I am excited about the enthusiasm and dedication of the current members of the Patient Committee, the staff of the CTC, and our prospective new members. Rodger and I wish to expand the Patient Committee and the mentoring program to include all organ groups. We are very eager to have the committee culturally and racially diverse to better serve the patient population.”
“As transplant patients ourselves,” adds Mr. Goodacre, “we know how overwhelming the transplant process can be, and we are going to do our best to provide constant support. We also hope to attract more volunteers.”
Ms. Barget will continue to coordinate the Mentor Program for pre-transplant patients, working with social workers and nurses to match listed patients with those who have gone through the transplant process. She also manages the patient volunteer desk and coordinates volunteer activities for individual patients who wish to support the CTC with their time and talents. Mr. Goodacre will act as treasurer and will also help coordinate the Evening Conversations and Support Group meetings. Other members of the committee have taken on various projects or support roles for the CTC.
Mr. Goodacre is employed with the federal government and lives with his wife and daughters in Westminster. A former English teacher, Ms. Barget has four grown children and lives with her husband in Severna Park.
The CTC presented former Patient Committee Chair Ernie Clayton with a plaque, recognizing his service from 1994-2003. The plaque noted the contribution of someone “who went from being a transplant patient to a leader of patients.” Mr. Clayton will continue to participate on the committee. He observes, “The committee can be most proud of the quality of the programs we have helped develop with CTC. Every event is better than the one before.”
