The theme this year is "Celebrating People in Action," honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities. Jean Reed, director of Volunteer Services at UI Hospitals and Clinics, talks about the many volunteers and opportunities to volunteer
How many dedicated volunteers work at UI Hospitals and Clinics?
Last year we had over 1,300 people contribute time through Volunteer Services.
Are there different levels of volunteering?
To become a regular hospital volunteer and select a weekly placement, we accept volunteers ages 16 and up. We also have a junior volunteer program which is an eight-week summer program that focuses on introducing students to careers in the health sciences; as well as fostering service values. We accept students ages 14 through 18 in that program. We also have staff members who volunteer over lunch hours or on evening or weekends. And there are folks who contribute from their homes, too.
What are some of the volunteer responsibilities that a high school or college student might find at UI Hospitals and Clinics?
We have a tremendous college student program coordinated by a college student leader board and is just an amazing program. They bring a lot of energy and caring to our hospital. Our student volunteers tend to be drawn to positions that are going to help prepare them for careers in the health sciences—our more direct patient contact on inpatient units, intensive care units, and places like that.
How are the younger volunteer activities different from the activities the volunteer who may be retired do?
We have nearly 100 different volunteer positions. There aren't any restrictions on who can go to what placement; but we see many of our community volunteers select placements that involve guest relations, the more social placements that provide support to our patients and families. Some examples of those types of placements would be volunteering in our family lounges or visiting patients; the Patients' Library is popular; Wild Rose Gifts—our gift shop—in the main lobby; or our café; and everybody seems to find our pediatric areas appealing.
Are there opportunities to volunteer for UI Hospitals and Clinics without coming to the facility?
Yes. We recently added a special projects link on our home page under 'Become a Volunteer.' I think there are a lot of people who aren't able to make the commitment that's required to become a regular hospital volunteer and we hope to encourage them to consider other ways that they might contribute.
On that Web site, we have everything from donation wish list to patterns for crafts like baby hats or no-sew fleece blankets, things that groups might be able to do together; we even have links on becoming a special visitor, or a blood donor here. So there's just a ton of information included on that special projects Web page and I would encourage folks to check that out.
Do volunteers play a significant role in the day-to-day activities within UI Hospitals and Clinics?
Absolutely! When you look at the numbers, more than 600 volunteers contribute a three-hour volunteer shift every single week of the year. That's just a tremendous contribution and the value of that would be more than $1.8 million. We could never afford to offer that kind of support otherwise. Our volunteers are just an amazing group of people. Every single one of them has the chance to improve the patient/family experience here every day.
If someone wanted to learn more about any of these volunteer opportunities, or how they would go about becoming a volunteer at UI Hospitals and Clinics, who should they contact?
Give us a call—356-2515—we'd love to talk to folks about the opportunities that are available. As I mentioned already, we have a Web site with a lot of terrific information, as well. |
