When you talk to Yadira Gutiérrez, one thing becomes clear immediately: she loves her community. A lifelong Oregonian and longtime Marion County resident, she brings a deep sense of local connection to her work at Santiam Hospital & Clinics. For more than four years—since joining the hospital in 2021—Yadira has served as a Communications Strategist, supporting internal communications for the hospital’s staff and helping bring people together for a wide range of community-focused events.

 

Before joining Santiam Hospital & Clinics, Yadira spent several years immersed in organizations that put people first. She worked in the Salem-Keizer School District as a teacher’s assistant, and later as a volunteer coordinator for The Salvation Army. Those roles helped shape her understanding of how essential volunteers are to the health of a community—and how much planning and coordination it takes to support them well. “When you work with volunteers, clarity matters,” she says. “The easier you can make the process, the more people are willing to step in and help.”

 

So when she arrived at Santiam Hospital & Clinics, it was no surprise that volunteers were woven into nearly every major event. From health-related community gatherings to beloved local traditions, the hospital is involved in dozens of annual activities that require careful planning. For years, teams relied on SignUpGenius to manage those moving parts. But as their events grew, the limitations became harder to ignore.

 

“We just needed something more intuitive,” Yadira explains. “Something cleaner, easier, and faster.”

 

That search led them to PlanHero.

 

Today, PlanHero powers volunteer coordination for a long list of Santiam Hospital & Clinics events—each one reflecting the hospital’s mission of service, outreach, and community health. One of the largest is their annual Fun Run, which brings together residents of all ages for a spirited, family-friendly day of activity. Volunteers help with setup, water stations, check-in tables, and more, and PlanHero gives Yadira’s team a simple, organized way to make sure every shift is covered.

 

The hospital also participates in community events that promote health education and visibility, as well as events that directly support wellness needs within the community. For example, PlanHero helps them coordinate volunteers for:

 

  • Flu Shot Clinics for local residents
  • Free Sports Physicals for student athletes who need a required exam but may not have the means to visit a doctor
  • Aumsville Corn Festival
  • Red Ball Express Dodgeball Tournament
  • Annual Child Safety Seat Clinic in partnership with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office
  • Annual Harvest Breakfast
  • Medicare Rodeo, an event that helps older adults gather essential information about healthcare options and services

 

“We have such a wide variety of events,” Yadira says. “PlanHero makes it easy to stay organized—no matter how different those events are.”

 

One of the features her team relies on most is PlanHero’s duplication tool. Since so many of their events repeat annually, duplication saves countless hours. Instead of rebuilding a signup from scratch, they simply duplicate last year’s version, update the dates, and share it with staff and volunteers. “It’s such a time-saver,” she adds. “And it keeps everything consistent.”

 

Santiam Hospital & Clinics uses PlanHero’s Pro plan, which allows different departments to work independently within their own Groups. Yadira manages hospital-wide events, while another department uses PlanHero to support the Santiam Hospital Foundation’s various fundraisers and community initiatives. The clean, intuitive interface makes it easy for every coordinator—regardless of technical comfort level—to set up, update, and monitor signups.

 

As a bilingual communicator, Yadira also appreciates how inclusive the volunteer process becomes when the signup experience is simple, uncluttered, and easy to navigate. “It removes barriers,” she says. “And that helps bring more people in.”

 

For Yadira, PlanHero isn’t just a scheduling tool—it’s an extension of the hospital’s commitment to community connection. Whether supporting local families, empowering students, or helping older adults access essential health resources, she and her colleagues rely on PlanHero to keep the focus where it belongs: on serving the people of Marion County.

 

“It helps us make things run smoothly,” she says. “And that means we can focus on what really matters.”