Siblings Eddie Fisher and Kay Martin are so close you could call them a modern-day “Dynamic Duo.” And though it was Kay who persuaded Eddie to join the Rivers Health Auxiliary in 2019, it’s her brother who has taken the ball and run with it.
After winning the Central District’s “Volunteer of the Year” award from the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA) in 2023, in the spring of 2024 and ‘25 Fisher showed why he deserved the honor.
Not only did he pinch-hit for injured Auxiliary President J.R. Spencer for two months last year, Fisher worked extra duty the first three months of this year when volunteers were ill or undergoing surgery.
Bumping up from three days to four or five is likely during this summer as well, when vacations deplete the roster.
The Point Pleasant-area native didn’t mind the extra duty. Often stationed at the reception desk, Eddie enjoys helping visitors reach their destination.
“A lot of people don’t have any idea of where they’re going in the hospital, and we can show them what to do,” Fisher said. “With my background in quality, I’m an advocate of making sure I serve them in a timely manner.”
After several close personal losses in her life, when Kay suggested Eddie join her in volunteering at Rivers Health, Fisher agreed to go because he wanted to support his sister. Once on board, Eddie discovered he loved it.
A 25-year Rivers Health employee who retired in 2011, Martin decided to volunteer after losing her husband and two other family members. After remarrying in July of 2023, she cut her two-days-per-week routine to one, so she has nothing but admiration for her brother’s diligence.
“I think he certainly deserved it,” she said of her brother’s WVHA award (ironically, Kay won it in 2024). “He puts many hours into it and puts his whole self into the job. He’s very meticulous about what he does and has good leadership skills too.”
Director of Patient Experiences and Volunteer Services Nora Gibbeaut can vouch for that observation. Fisher is not just a great volunteer but a great person— dependable, trustworthy, and a good role model, she said.
“When we attend meetings or conferences, Eddie takes on not only the leadership role but the gentleman’s role,” Gibbeaut said. “He always offers to be a driver when we travel. He drops everyone at the door and picks them back up.”
Fisher credits his parents with teaching him and his sister to be kind to others and help them whenever possible.
Additional incentive comes from a comment actor Denzell Washington made during an interview: “At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s who you have lifted up, who you’ve made better.”
“That stuck to me like glue,” Fisher recalled. “That’s what I strongly believe is my mission with volunteering.”
