Volunteer Spotlight: Caring Beyond Hospital Walls

Rita Miranda says this not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who has stepped into Adventist Health White Memorial and found something deeper than she expected.

A return to something familiar, yet new

Rita Miranda lives in East Los Angeles, a community she has long called home. After retiring in August 2025, following more than 40 years in healthcare managing emergency departments and admissions, she did not expect her next chapter to bring her back into a hospital setting.

But something pulled her forward.

“I picked up the phone, called, and they [Adventist Health White Memorial’s Community Well-Being Center] gave me the steps and here I am,” she recalls. That simple decision opened the door to volunteering and being part of the ¡Vive Bien! Wellness Program at Adventist Health White Memorial.

A new kind of healthcare connection

Having spent decades behind hospital desks, Rita Miranda understands what most people never see.

“Admitting is the gatekeeper,” she says. “People think it is entry-level, but it is not. You are responsible for so much.”

Now, as a volunteer, she sees the full picture from the other side. Not just systems and workflows, but human stories unfold in real time.

“I see patients coming in, the look on their faces,” she shares. “They need guidance, reassurance, and sometimes just someone to tell them they are in good hands.”

At Adventist Health White Memorial, she sees that care extends beyond medicine into connection, language, and trust.

Where community becomes care

Rita Miranda first encountered the Community Well-Being Center through its unique services and resources.

One moment stayed with her.

“My family member used the ‘Beauty Bus,” she says. “He gets a haircut every couple of weeks. It is something simple, but it makes a big difference.”

She pauses, then adds something more meaningful than the service itself.

“But it is not just the haircut. It is the interaction. The sense of feeling welcome. The way people are treated.”

In Montebello, where access can often feel limited for many families, she sees the impact clearly.

“There are people who do not always have the means to go to a hair salon,” she says. “These services help them feel seen again. It brings value back to the person.”

More than services, a circle of care

At the Community Well-Being Center, Rita Miranda has witnessed how Adventist Health White Memorial is reimagining care.

From food support and transportation to mental health resources and wellness programs, she describes it as something rare in healthcare today.

“A one-stop place,” she says. “Not just for treatment, but for everything around it.”

She reflects on how cultural barriers often prevent people from seeking help early.

“In our culture, sometimes we say we do not need a doctor,” she explains. “But when they finally come, it can already be too late.”

That is why she believes programs like ¡Vive Bien! Wellness Program matter so deeply. They meet people where they are before the crisis takes over.

The meaning of volunteering

Now part of the Adventist Health White Memorial volunteer community, Rita Miranda describes something she did not expect to find again after retirement.

“Unity,” she says. “People here really want to help someone. Bring water. Guide families. Ease stress.”

She sees volunteers as the first point of comfort for many families walking through uncertainty.

“We may not change everything,” she says softly, “but we can make someone feel a little more at ease.”

A call to the community

Today, these programs are growing, especially in communities like Montebello and East Los Angeles where the need continues to rise.

But so does opportunity.

Support is needed to expand these services, sustain beauty and wellness programs, strengthen outreach, and ensure families continue receiving care beyond clinical walls.

Learn more. Get involved. Give today.

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