Volunteers

Do something good for your heart – become a volunteer at Riverview Hospital.

For more than 50 years, people in our community have been making a tremendous impact with their time. Riverview has approximately 210 volunteers – men and women between the ages of 18 and 90. We always welcome new volunteers.

There’s the friendly gentleman who helps transport patients to receive x-rays or tests, or the reassuring woman who tells a family that their loved one’s surgery is almost complete. There are the husband and wife teams that provide weekly assistance around the hospital. In so many ways, Riverview just wouldn’t be the same without its dedicated group of volunteers.

Volunteer services began with the Red Cross Gray Ladies in 1953. Since then, volunteers have given more than 750,000 hours of their time and raised more than $1,000,000. Volunteers gain a sense of camaraderie, a deep sense of appreciation from hospital staff, and are offered a variety of benefits.

How to Volunteer

Potential volunteers interview with the volunteer services manager, and they tell us what they would like to do. Many people want to volunteer wherever the need is greatest. But we try to fit a person with the skills and interests that best suit the individual and best serve the hospital. Applicants include people from college age on up. College students must be pursuing a medically related field. Restrictions include, no court ordered community service, no convictions other than minor traffic violations, and a criminal background check is done on all prospective volunteers.

How much time do volunteers need to give?

Each shift is four hours. Individuals can choose the days they want and come in the morning or afternoon. Volunteers work at least one shift a week; some work two or three. Volunteers receive an orientation regarding hospital policies, procedures and benefits, and a health screening. Experienced volunteers provide on-the-job training.

Service Areas

Volunteers provide support and make a difference to Riverview in many service areas. The following are ways that our volunteers help:

• Central Transporting - Assist hospital personnel by transporting patients to and from different departments. Monday through Friday, mornings and afternoons.
• Chaplain’s assistant - Coordinate information from patients to their churches, and assist area ministers. Monday through Saturday mornings.
• Clerical - Assemble and file materials and assist with mailings in various departments. Some typing and computer work available. Flexible schedule.
• Community Health Clinic - Answer phones, provide information, and register patients.
• Emergency/Outpatient department - Serve as information coordinator. Assist families in the Emergency Waiting Area. Mornings, afternoons and some evenings and weekends.
• Gift Shop - Work in the hospital’s gift shop. Mornings, afternoons, and evenings daily.
• Gift Cart - Visit patients to deliver items supplied from the Gift Shop. Monday through Friday, flexible schedule.
• Cardiology Information - Assist patients and families and serve as information coordinator. Monday through Friday mornings and afternoons.
• Main Entrance/Registration - Assist patients during registration and serve as information coordinator for patients and families. Mornings and afternoon shifts as well as some evenings and weekends.
• Professional Building - Direct patients and vendors to hospital departments and physician offices. Occasional clerical work included. Monday through Friday, mornings and afternoons.
• Red Cross - Distribute flowers, newspapers, and mail to patients. Provide general information to the public. Mornings and afternoons daily.
• Special projects - Assist with Holiday Bazaar, jewelry sale, book sale, luncheon, fashion show, Health Festival and other special projects as needed. Special placement for individual volunteers upon request.
• Surgery information - Serve as information coordinator and direct patients from the lower level to the Surgery Center or to physician offices on the lower level. Some clerical assistance. Monday through Friday, with morning shifts only.
• Women’s Boutique - Assist customers, replenish stock, price merchandise, and assemble merchandise sacks. Monday through Friday, morning and afternoon shifts, and Saturday, noon to 5:00 p.m.

Do you enjoy knitting or sewing? We need your talent!

A Touch of Love is a service group of the Riverview Auxililary that makes handmade blankets for infants born at Riverview Hospital (there were nearly 1,000 births at Riverview in 2006 alone!). You are welcome to knit, crochet or sew at your leisure and donate your completed items at your own pace.

Please contact A Touch of Love coordinator, Jerri Barnes, for more information on donating your time or supplies. Jerri can be reached at 770-8205.

Contact Us

To learn more about volunteering at Riverview, email sbeckwith@riverview.org or call 317-776-7236.