Volunteer Rick Stephenson

Rick Stephenson began his journey as an ombudsman in 2019. He served in two homes for a year and a half before COVID hit, and like all ombudsmen, was unable to visit his home. Rick continued to advocate by making calls and working with staff to set up virtual visits. When it was time to go back into homes, Rick didn't want to risk bringing COVID into the homes and harming residents, so he decided to retire.

With the widespread availability of vaccines and COVID becoming more manageable, Rick felt it was safe to return. He knew that in order to return, he would have to go through the entire designation process again, and because the requirements had changed, he would be completing almost double the number of training hours he had originally completed. Rick attended each training class, participated in every shadow, and did all of the reading without complaint. He embraced the opportunity to be able to learn and become prepared to continue his advocacy efforts. He has been back for over a year now serving in his St. Louis City home.

Rick received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 1971 and began his career at the Missouri University of Science and Technology that same year. He retired from there in 2013 as Chancellor's Professor Emeritus.

While at Missouri S & T, Rick was the founding faculty advisor of the student organization Engineers Without Borders - Missouri S & T, serving until retirement. EWB-S&T designed, funded, and built infrastructure systems in indigenous communities in Bolivia, Guatemala, and Honduras, including water supply, electricity, drainage, and sanitation. During his tenure, he sent approximately 60 students and their advisors to these communities every summer to work with the communities to construct these facilities.

Rick's wife, Cristina, is the Director of Pastoral Care and Education at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. They have three children and three grandchildren. The two of them enjoy gardening, cooking, and road trips. Before COVID, they made two visits a year to Italy to visit her family. They also like a good glass of wine with dinner, and Rick is a hard-core Oklahoma State University sports fan.

We at VOYCE have admired Rick's dedication to residents. After retiring as an ombudsman during COVID, it would have been easy for Rick to stay retired. Instead, he reached out to us and asked what he needed to do to return. He fully embraced the opportunity to learn and grow as an advocate and returned to his home even stronger than ever. He makes a difference "by serving as an advocate, confidant, and representative for nursing home residents who are often ignored, neglected, and abused."

Rick is an exceptional advocate; VOYCE and his residents are lucky to have him.