Matt Cain has known he wanted to enter the medical field since he was 12 years old. The Central Bucks West High School senior is a volunteer EMT with Warrington Emergency Medical Services and a junior member with the Doylestown Fire Company. He is the only teen volunteer at Doylestown Hospital to have contributed an amazing 1,000 hours of service.

Matt's dedication and enthusiasm have earned him the honor of being the statewide winner of the 2008 Student Health Care Hero Award. Sandi Vito, Acting Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, presented Matt with the award on November 10 at the Pennsylvania Health Careers Week kick-off event in Harrisburg.

Matt signed up to become a volunteer EMT with the local ambulance company when he was 16. He has witnessed all kinds of medical emergencies and a fair share of intense situations. His experience has translated into maturity.
"It doesn't really phase me anymore," Matt says. "It makes me feel good if you can help save someone's life or convince them to go to the hospital. It feels really good."
 
Matt started volunteering in the Snack Bar at Doylestown Hospital when he was 14 and moved to Patient Transport when he turned 15. He completed the hospital's Nurses Aide training class in May of 2006, and eventually started volunteering in PACU. Until very recently, Matt volunteered two days a week. He has contributed an amazing 1,020 hours of service. Assistant Director of Volunteer Services Doreen McVaugh has headed up the teen program at the hospital for nearly 20 years. She says she has never had a teen volunteer even come close to 1,000 hours. Matt's contribution is truly a remarkable achievement.
  
Matt enjoys interacting with the patients and learning from the medical staff. Rose Dougherty, RN, says Matt is always eager to help, continually seeking ways he can assist the staff. "He doesn't just sit back and wait to be asked to do something," she says.

"I like the people," Matt says, "and I've learned a lot here. Everyone is willing to help out." As a teen volunteer, Matt has gained invaluable experience not only caring for patients, but learning to interact with others in a hospital setting. It has strengthened his conviction in terms of a future career. 

Matt's mind is made up. Healthcare is the field for him. He wants to be a registered nurse in an Emergency Room or trauma center. Or perhaps a paramedic or flight nurse with a med evac crew. He is currently looking at nursing programs at several Philadelphia-area colleges. "I want to do this because I believe I can have the greatest impact on a person's life in this setting," says Matt.

Matt Cain with his parents Paul and Paula and Sandi Vito, Pennsylvania's Labor and Industry Acting Secretary