If you’ve used the Medical Equipment Recycling Program’s Greenville location during the past decade, there’s a good chance you know Rae Lynn Callahan.
A long-time resident and employee of Greenville and its hospital, Rae Lynn has served MERP’s Greenville facility since transitioning from a role in UPMC Horizon’s education department in 2015. Since that time, she has worked part-time at MERP serving customers and maintaining equipment until considering retirement in 2023. Although the idea of full-time retirement was alluring, Rae Lynn could not bring herself to completely leave the Program behind. She now works as a casual employee, continuing to assist patients, other staff and volunteers with helping customers and refurbishing and cleaning equipment as she has for many years, albeit on a smaller scale.
In previous jobs, Rae Lynn’s work was behind the scenes, with most interactions happening with other employees, not community members or customers. That changed when she worked at MERP. Although she still worked away from the front desk while maintaining or cleaning medical equipment, her primary responsibility – and ultimately the most rewarding part of working for MERP – was assisting customers with their needs. While many customers come to MERP knowing the kind of device they need to borrow, others need help figuring out what will best address their specific needs. Rae Lynn’s role enabled her to work closely with patients through every step of the borrowing process, from applying for equipment to discussing customer concerns and answering questions. It quickly came to be her favorite responsibility.
Although she is now at MERP less frequently, Rae Lynn maintains the same passion for the program she has always had, noting the importance of MERP to Greenville and the surrounding area. She now has the opportunity to pass her experience and knowledge on to the employees and volunteers following in her footsteps and enjoys being able to mentor others. Staying on as a casual employee at MERP enables her to continue to maintain the many relationships with customers and MERP’s staff she built over her years of service, and she is extremely proud of how many customers MERP has been able to serve during its many years of operation.
The next time you’re at MERP, be sure to say hi to Rae Lynn and the other team members and volunteers who work tirelessly to make its services available to area residents!
