OCEANSIDE — Don Dupuis, a volunteer for Tri-City Hospital Auxiliary in Oceanside, keeps a bag of candy handy for visitors at the registration counter where he volunteers. He also often has toys for children.
Dupuis says he looks forward to volunteering because “my wife passed away a little bit ago. And it gets me out of the house — gives me something to do.”
Dupuis is one of the longest-serving volunteers at Tri-City, with 33 years of volunteer service under his belt, and will turn 92 in May. Before this, he was a Marine who worked in aviation and taught drafting.
“The reason I enjoy [volunteering] is because I meet nice people and I get exercise,” he says. “And I think that the key to longevity is staying active.”
Dupuis is among the more than 200 volunteers who donate their time at Tri-City. High schoolers, college students, and adult volunteers alike have been giving their time to the hospital since 1958, when the auxiliary was founded by a group of doctors’ wives.
Currently, they have about a dozen departments that utilize volunteers, from the Information Desk, Registration, Lab, ICU, and now the newly opened ER unit.
“Before COVID, we had a very healthy volunteer number and many more departments, about 20 departments in the hospital,” said Bunny McElliott, president of Tri-City Healthcare Auxiliary. “But our numbers are about half of what they were prior to COVID.”
McElliott anticipates more positions will emerge due to an upcoming partnership with Sharp HealthCare and Tri-City.
According to Sharp, the Tri-City Medical Center board of directors passed a vote to pursue a 30-year affiliation with Sharp, signed on Dec. 12, 2025.
“Sharp will assume operational responsibility for Tri-City Medical Center’s assets and liabilities while investing at least $100 million to modernize facilities and enhance patient care,” Sharp’s website states.
Because Tri-City is a public hospital, the partnership is subject to voter approval. The measure will appear on the ballot of residents from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, and parts of San Marcos this June.
Volunteers are required to commit to at least one year at the hospital and 100 hours of volunteer work. This is due to the extensive training and medical work required of volunteers.
McElliott admits that this requires a greater time commitment than most volunteer positions, but she says it is necessary to ensure the hospital runs smoothly.
“We want to make sure we’re stocked, and we’re covering enough shifts to be helpful, and that we can depend on that,” McElliott says.
Blanca Rosales, a student at El Camino High School, has been volunteering since August and works in the surgery department. She is interested in the medical field and wanted the opportunity to try it out while still in high school.
“It’s good to get a taste,” says Rosales. “I feel like not a lot of people do. I really like just helping people, and getting that patient interaction, and generally just building connections with people and with the staff members. Some have helped me with recommendations for college. It’s really nice to have more friends around and especially to guide you through that pathway.”
Tri-City Medical also provides scholarships of up to $1000 to college students in the medical field.
“I don’t know what we would do without them,” says Jennifer Paroly, president and executive director for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation. “They are the heartbeat of this hospital. They come every day with smiles and love and help and healing.”
For more information, please visit https://tricityhospitalauxiliary.org/ or call 760-940-3125.
