At UAB Medicine, volunteers help multiply compassion and maximize efficiency within the hospital and clinics. In connection with their service, volunteers also gain valuable experience and build lasting relationships.
Volunteer Services is the UAB Medicine department within Guest Services that primarily recruits, manages, and trains volunteers from the community. COVID-19 nearly halted its work. But it’s now back to full strength with a renewed focus on creating opportunities that make a difference for the UAB Medicine, patients, and volunteers.
Volunteer Services
People of all ages and backgrounds – including students and special interest groups – may be interested in a volunteer experience within UAB Medicine, and many departments are looking for help with nonclinical duties. Volunteer Services brings those opportunities to the people, according to Volunteer Coordinator Jodie Herrin.
Her department’s duties include:
- Directing volunteers to where they best fit in and preparing or “onboarding” them. The departments or clinics that express a need receive first consideration for volunteer assignments.
- Managing the many special interest volunteer groups that serve UAB Medicine, including the Angel Squad that supports patients with breast cancer, volunteers at the UAB 1917 Clinic at Dewberry (UAB’s clinic for patients with HIV), and medical student volunteers
- Coordinating with a standalone 501(c)(3) called the UAB Hospital Auxiliary to assist with fundraising for hospital programs
How volunteers help
Some of the places and ways volunteers serve at UAB Medicine include:
- Inpatient units
- Ambulatory clinics
- Golf cart team
- Spinal cord injury mentors
- Helping Hands (RNICU/CCN nurseries)
- Hospital Elder Life Program (H.E.L.P.)
- Hand in Paw (animal-assisted therapy)
- Arts in Medicine
- Palliative Care
- Trauma survivor mentors
- Burn support group
- Sewing team
Bouncing back after COVID
Going into 2020, Volunteer Services had about 500 volunteers serving in the hospital and clinics. In March 2020, UAB Medicine took precautions that included halting volunteer work within the hospital. When it resumed accepting volunteers nearly two years later in 2022, there were just 44.
“The difference that volunteers make has never been clearer than after a long stretch without them,” said Herrin, who in 2023 took over a department that was still struggling but on the rise. “I knew that the appetite for volunteering was going to surge as everyone got more comfortable in the clinical space again.”
Herrin developed a strategy to help create a more fulfilling experience for incoming volunteers by rounding throughout the hospital in search of departments that may have gotten out of touch with Volunteer Services.
“We had to revive interest and let people know about the safety of returning,” she said. “Meanwhile, I toured the hospital to talk about how we train and onboard volunteers and help departments navigate liability.”
Herrin has seen a surge of interest from volunteer groups and students. She helps them onboard and maintain a record of their hours for various purposes, including funding, fundraising, and mandatory volunteering requirements.
She also helps match people with the needs of UAB Medicine departments. A few examples include:
- Working with a new group of volunteers at the UAB 1917 Clinic at Dewberry, which provides care for people living with HIV. “I worked with the clinic for a few months to define our objectives and make sure we had a process that worked for them,” Herrin said. “And I just finished an orientation with the first six volunteers for services that were directly requested by the clinic. This will be a recurring monthly orientation that I lead on their behalf.”
- Attending weekly team meetings at the Palliative and Comfort Care Unit to discuss its volunteer needs. It has a constant need for volunteers but has a thorough vetting process due to the sensitive nature of the work.
- Pet therapy is another popular volunteer pathway. “If you love animals and love to make a difference, pet therapy could be your calling; it’s a heartwarming experience,” Herrin said.
“We are proud to say that we currently have 411 volunteers, which is our high-water mark since the shutdown,” Herrin said. “What’s more, we are helping volunteers who have a desire to work different areas at the same time. In some cases, it wasn’t known that a volunteer could serve in multiple areas.”
Onboarding
Although volunteers do not provide direct patient care, they are a vital part of the UAB Medicine team. Some basic training is required, but Volunteer Services strives to makes the process easy for applicants and departments that may have unique requirements.
Onboarding includes:
- Completing an application
- Health clearance
- Orientation
- Privacy agreement and an understanding of federal health care laws (HIPAA)
- Obtaining a badge
- Coordinating schedules with departments
“Volunteers and departments alike can avoid a lot of legwork by going through us,” Herrin said.
Volunteer Services is working to find a place for everyone who wants to serve at UAB Medicine and perform work that is meaningful to them, and Herrin believes that community enthusiasm for service at UAB will continue to grow.
If you are a department leader, volunteer, or volunteer hopeful, please email Jodie Herrin at jherrin@uabmc.edu for more information.