We Want You!
In one of her university courses, Kimberly Ames was introduced to Mercy Ships. She was so moved by the presentation and knew she had to be a part of this incredible organization. Now serving as the Medical Sourcing Specialist for Mercy Ships, Kimberly claims that she has the best job in the organization!
In this episode, Kimberly gives insight into the recruiting process and the qualifications necessary for medical crew. She also shares the main questions most potential crew ask, her biggest career highlight, the current volunteer needs of Mercy Ships, and how you can get on board!
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to apply to volunteer with us, this is it!Looking for a way to join our mission of bringing hope and healing? Partner with us through a gift, volunteering with us, or by joining us in prayer.
New Mercies Podcast Transcript
Welcome to the New Mercies , a podcast by Mercy Ships, where we’ll take you behind the scenes and on board our incredible hospital ships that are transforming lives all over the world. We invite you to join us each week as we sit down with our crew, patients, volunteers, and partners to hear their stories of life-changing hope and healing.
Kimberly Ames has landed her dream job as a medical sourcing specialist for Mercy Ships and she’s here to tell you all about how she recruits medical crew for our ships. Here’s my interview with Kimberly Ames.
Raeanne Newquist:
Kimberly, I am excited to have you on the podcast today because we hear a lot from our crew and our staff at the ISC. But we sometimes wonder how do these people get there? How do people find their way to Mercy Ships, and there is a whole other side of the organization that helps find the right people to put them in the right place. And you are one of those people. Welcome to New Mercies .
Kimberly Ames:
Thank you. I’m excited to be here.
Raeanne:
Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about how you got to Mercy Ships in the first place.
Kimberly:
That is one of my favorite stories to share. I went to the University of Texas at Tyler and I studied health science and wellness. And in my global health class, my professor was from Kenya. And during our Africa section, she had Mercy Ships in her curriculum. And I remember being a student in college thinking — this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I either want to go serve on a Mercy Ship or I would love to be employed at their international support center. And the Lord answered that prayer and he brought me to Mercy Ships.
Raeanne:
Oh my gosh, what was it about her presentation or your class that made you feel like this is what I want to do?
Kimberly:
Well, first I was blown away. I am from Texas, Texas is a large state. But for one that Mercy Ships ISC was even in Texas. And two, I think it was more of the patient’s stories and just the before and after and the global impact that the work that Mercy Ships was doing in West Africa. And not only that, but as somebody who came to Christ late in life, I felt like I had wasted some time in my Christian walk. And I just wanted to just dive in and just serve the Lord for the rest of my life. So there was a lot of things that attracted me to Mercy Ships, and it was just really the great work that they do, being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Raeanne:
I love that. But why don’t you tell us what you do? How you ended up, you know, finally then getting a job and what exactly you do for the organization.
Kimberly:
I am the medical sourcing specialist, I am responsible for finding and identifying the best talent to join the mission of Mercy Ships. Specifically in the hospital side of the ship, I have two additional sourcing specialists on my team who focus on the operations and maritime side of the ship.
Raeanne:
So basically, you go out and you really find the right medical crew that will fit the need that we have currently onboard our ships. So how do you do that? How do you how do you go find people?
Kimberly:
There are some specific tasks that we do starting by contacting our started but not submitted application list. So someone might have started an application with Mercy Ships and then didn’t quite finish it. So we contact them personally and ask how can we help them complete the application. We attend events all across the US some industry specific events. I just got home yesterday from a pediatric surgeon event in Orlando, Florida, where we held a Mercy Ships reception and spoke to over 25 pediatric surgeons, about them joining our mission and volunteering with us on board. We do some LinkedIn sourcing and spreading the word. We’re kind of like marketers, where we are marketing Mercy Ships on the volunteer side and seed planting and getting the word out for so many that have never heard of Mercy Ships before. We do it in multiple different ways. I always tell people, it’s my dream job. I have the best job in the world.
Raeanne:
I love that. We hear that from so many of our crew on board, whether they work in the galley or they’re a chaplain or they’re a nurse, they’ll say I have the best job on the ship. And I love hearing that you just love your job so much. Now, I’m curious. You said you just got back from a recruiting event. Give us a little bit of what you tell these doctors and nurses, these medical people. What do you present to them about Mercy Ships that gets them excited and thinking hey, maybe I want to do this.
Kimberly:
Well, when someone approaches the booth, a lot of times they think that we’re a cruise ship. Mercy Ships has such a unique model that hospital ships is not something that at least in the states that is very well known. And so teaching them about what we do just naturally gets them excited. So
something that we share at events is Mercy Ships operates a fleet of the world’s largest charity hospital ships to bring hope and healing to those who need it most. And then we share some stats — an estimated 16.9 million people die globally every year because they cannot access safe, affordable and timely surgical care. So to meet this significant need, our volunteer crew help to provide free lifesaving and life-changing surgery and medical training in low and middle-income countries. So as a medical professional, that just kind of already tugs at your heartstrings. Professionals got into their fields to help people. And it just really reminds them of why they wanted to be this specific medical person when they grew up. And so it was a beautiful thing to kind of draw somebody in and to have a conversation about our needs on board, about our volunteer needs, and about what it takes to get actually on the ship, we’d like to talk about it being pretty competitive. So we might get X amount of applications and for a pediatric nurse, but we can only fit so many on board during a field service. And so being someone from the States, we like that competitive nature of the medical fields. And so it’s kind of like well get your application in. So that way you are sitting on our talent community, and you could potentially be the one picked to go on board. And so it’s just a really fun way of talking to our medical crew about actually getting on board one day.
Raeanne:
I love that because it is true, it almost becomes this enticing thing of I might not make it, I better put my best foot forward and try for this. Tell us a little bit about the requirements for medical crew. What exactly are you looking for? But also, what are the varying commitments that the medical crew have to make to come on board?
Kimberly:
Yeah, that’s actually one of our main questions in the medical side of it is how do I qualify and Mercy Ships requires at least two years of post-license experience before volunteering for most medical positions on board and active license and actively practicing. So for example, you cannot be retired for five years, and then come and volunteer as a surgeon. And that is just because Mercy Ships provides the highest standard, I believe, of medical care for our patients. And a lot of people think of a medical missionary trip as something that anyone can do it anyone can qualify for. And although that could be true, because even though you might be retired, you could come serve in our galley as a housekeeper, we can find a spot for you on board. But for our specific medical positions, we do have pretty high standards and high qualifications for our crew. And that is just so we can provide the most safe and accurate surgeries for our patients.
Raeanne:
Absolutely. What are the time commitments for the varying medical positions on board?
Kimberly:
So our time commitments depends on what department you serve in on board, our surgeons or team anesthesia team come for two weeks at a time. Our Ward nurses come for eight weeks, crew nurses come for 10 months. So it really just depends on what department you’re serving in to depend on the commitment time.
Raeanne:
I think that’s important for people listening who are maybe thinking I wonder if I could do this. But gosh, I can’t leave my job for a year or you know, they just have no idea what the time commitment is. But if a surgeon or some specialist can only come for two weeks, then that’s a perfect amount of
time to come. I know that when you’re scheduling the various surgeries on board the ship, I know that there are certain surgeries or certain special patients that will be reserved for a surgeon that’s coming in a couple of months, you know, they’ll say we want to hold that patient back because the surgeon that’s coming in October has the specialty that this patient needs and so everything is coordinated in that way. But to know that some of our surgeons and anesthetists are only on board for two weeks at a time is important for people listening. So if you’re out there and you’re a doctor or surgeon and you want to come serve two weeks is all you need to do.
Kimberly:
Definitely. And I like to say that that’s just the minimum time commitment, you can always ask for longer. And a lot of our crew members come back every field service or they fall in love with it so much that they do not want to go home and they end up extending so the possibilities are endless and there’s no telling what the Lord will do through your heart once you get on board.
Raeanne:
Absolutely. Why don’t you tell us about an applicant or two that that stood out to you?
Kimberly:
I actually met an alumni O.R. nurse recently, and he shared with me that he came and volunteered with Mercy Ships as an or administrative assistant, and through the work that he witnessed on board the ship, it inspired him to go to nursing school. So to this day, he has come back to Mercy Ships numerous times and has served as an operating room nurse. And so that was really inspiring for me that someone who came as a student, or as someone who came not as a medical professional, and filled in one of our openings on the ship was inspired to go to nursing school, and now has come back multiple times and has served as a nurse. That’s very inspiring.
Raeanne:
Oh, that is so cool. Well, I know that that story happens over and over again, we actually were on board with a young woman named Cassie and she served in the ship shop as the manager on board and she had just graduated from college. But when she returned after the field service, she decided she wanted to be a nurse. And so she went back to school and nursing school. In fact, she just graduated last weekend from nursing school and is hoping to quickly accomplish her two years of active nursing so that she can apply to go back to the ship. So I just I think that’s so incredible. It really does make an impact on your life.
Well, what are the main questions that crew often ask you when they’re coming up to you trying to find out a little bit more about Mercy Ships? What are some of the questions that these potential crew ask you?
Kimberly:
So I kind of covered on the in the medical side, like how do I qualify? So another really big question is I’m not a medical or maritime professional. Is there a place for me on board? And the answer is yes, the complex nature of Mercy Ships project in programs demands a wide range of skills. Our operations side of the ship includes accounting human resources, hotel service, staff, teachers, IT staff and supply and logistic professionals and many more, yeah, anybody we need you will find a place for you.
Raeanne:
How long have you actually been working with Mercy Ships?
Kimberly:
I started in March of 2020, which was a very unique time to start a new job. And to start in a global organization. I started two weeks before the pandemic hit, which was also very nerve racking. I originally started in international programs. I worked in programs and saw the ins and outs of their planning and what it takes to get the ship to a country. What happens once the ship leaves. And it was very insightful. And I learned many things, I then transferred into human resources. And I joined the recruiting team as the medical sourcing specialist. And it kind of came full circle for me, because I did not leave my program friends, I now still work with them. And I help recruit further departments on board. And so it’s been a fun full circle with mercy.
Raeanne:
So great. Well, also, it sounds like your college degree and your schooling really lends hand to what you’re doing right now.
Kimberly:
Yes, absolutely. And as many of us go to college, and we think I’m going to get this degree for this specific career path, and then the Lord comes in and changes all of our plans, and sets us on the path that He wants us in. It brought my education with my experience together. And I have been able and privileged to use both of my skills and experiences to recruit for Mercy Ships.
Raeanne:
That is awesome. You know, that’s a good word to college students, or high school seniors. I know I have two daughters that are about to start applying for colleges in the fall. And they think they have to know exactly what they’re doing. But I keep telling them, you know, it just start and God will continue to navigate your path. And it might not end up the way that you thought, but it’ll be great.
Well, in your time thus far with Mercy Ships, what has been a highlight for you?
Kimberly:
Last year, if you would ask me, I would have struggled to answer this question. However, I feel like I have the perfect answer. And last year, in 2022, I was at a recruiting events for sterile processing technicians. And I had met with some important people with HSPA, which stands for Healthcare Sterile Processing Association, and they’re American based and we were just chatting as recruiters do. A lot of people asked, you know, what are some of your hardest to recruit positions? And I’m always like, I’m so glad that you asked because sterile processing technicians is actually something that’s pretty hard to recruit for. So my friend Damian with HSPA said, I think I can help you with that. So through that conversation, we a scholarship that HSPA has partnered with Mercy Ships to give a scholarship to one of their associate members to join us on board. And our very first scholarship winner is going through the application process right now. And we should be able to announce that very soon. But it has been the highlight of my career thus far. And one of my greatest accomplishments was as somebody who was just having a casual conversation, the Lord birthed this amazing opportunity between two organizations, to bless someone to come on board through a scholarship. And it’s just been the most amazing door that the Lord has opened between our two organizations. And I just think it’s the highlight of my career.
Raeanne:
Oh, that is very cool. So the difficult position to fill is a sterile processing technician. That is correct. As you mentioned, that staggering statistic, what was it 16.9 million people was that right die yearly, because they don’t have timely or affordable surgery, but also they don’t have safe surgery. And so that’s where sterilization plays a big part in it — we’re not just performing surgeries, but there is equipment that has to be sterilized and all that kind of stuff. So having one of these people is absolutely essential.
Kimberly:
So our operating room sterile processing technician upholds the highest standard of centralizing department practice following international guidelines as you wash and sterilize surgical instruments and medical equipment. So like, to your point, they are very important on board in providing the safe part of our surgeries. We need clean instruments in order to operate on multiple people.
Raeanne:
And it’s not just something anybody can do. It’s a highly trained professional, that deals with these instruments and the equipment on board to make sure that it’s completely safe and sterile. So I love that and how cool that someone is receiving a scholarship to come and serve on board. You’ll have to keep us up to date with who that person is and how their time is on board that would be so special to hear from them.
Well, Kimberly, what are some current needs that we have at Mercy Ships and how can people apply?
Kimberly:
Some of our current needs includes a captain, chief engineer, chief electrician, senior biomedical technician, senior radiology technologists, crew, public health team leader, ICU, nurses, chaplains, teachers, and a supply manager. Volunteer Applications are accepted year-round. For a complete list of our current and urgent roles. Please visit us at opportunities.mercy ships.org.
Raeanne:
Wow, that sounds like there’s a lot of need. So I hope if any of you are listening right now, and you’re wondering, I wonder if I could do this, you can go ahead and visit opportunities.mercyships.org.
Kimberly:
It is actually a very unique time to volunteer with Mercy Ships as we operate two hospital ships at a time, we need double the volunteers double the impact double the patients that we are serving. So our recruiting needs are ramping up. And we need all of the volunteers out there. So I would encourage you to apply. You will not regret it. It’s definitely an amazing thing to be on board and experience what the Lord is doing through Mercy Ships.
Raeanne:
Absolutely. Well, there’s your call to action, everyone. If God is putting this on your heart at all, and you’re wondering, hey, could this be me? Then go ahead and apply. Kimberly, thank you so much for all that you do. It is such an important role that you play in bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor, thank you for going out there and finding the right people but also just making people aware. There’s probably a ton of qualified people out there but they just don’t know that this opportunity exists. So thank you so much for all that you do. And thank you for sharing with us a little bit today about it.
Kimberly:
It’s my pleasure and my privilege to serve the Lord through Mercy Ships. Thank you.
For more information about Mercy Ships, go to mercyships.org, and to keep up with the guests on New Mercies, follow us on Instagram at NewMerciesPodcast.