Volunteer opportunities are available seven days a week, in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Flexible scheduling can be arranged, but the typical volunteer contributes his/her time one day a week for three to four hours. There are volunteer opportunities in many of our specialty areas, some of which are highlighted below.
Ambulatory Services
Volunteers assist outpatient clinic staff in a number of different areas, GI Services, Senior Health Program, Cardiovascular Clinic and Clinical Manometry. Our volunteers help with keeping waiting and public areas neat and comfortable, restock patient and office supplies, help patients prepare for procedures and assist at the front desk when needed.
Babies’ Friends
Volunteers knit, sew, and crochet baby wear for the Birth Center. Baby wear includes caps, booties, blankets, and quilts. Volunteers also make lap robes, prayer shawls, and quilts for other patient care units. This unique volunteer opportunity can be done outside of the hospital, individually or with a group of friends. Volunteer Services can provide patterns for the items as well.
Birth Center
Birth Center volunteers support staff by assisting at the front desk with reception duties, helping to restock linens and other patient room supplies, passing out and collecting meal trays and other office support activities. Volunteers also help answer visitor questions and, when needed, volunteers also help comfort newborns and premature infants.
Chaplaincy
Volunteers play a valuable role providing clerical assistance within the department. Office support includes answering phones, contacting staff, recording data and identifying patient/visitor requests. Basic computer skills are required.
Office Support
Volunteers assist various departments throughout the hospital with tasks such as filing, photocopying, collating, light typinc, answering telephones and mailing projects. In this capacity, volunteers are placed in the Foundation office, Public Relations, Risk Management and the Volunteer Office. Volunteers also assist with data entry in the Quality Management and Staff Development offices.
Communion Ministry
Communion Ministers make Holy Communion available to Catholic patients in a way that respects patients’ choices, supports them in using the resources of their faith, and contributes to the healing process. Training and certification in Communion Ministry in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is provided by the department.
Delivery Services
Volunteers deliver mail, flowers and gifts to patients throughout the hospital. Volunteers also deliver newspapers to patients in the hospital each morning.
Emergency Department
Volunteers in our Emergency Department (ED) assist clinical staff in a number of different ways. They help maintain a pleasant waiting area for patients and families, restock the patient rooms, prepare beds with fresh linens, restock staff supplies and forms, help answer questions from and/or direct patients and families and assist with maintaining a clean and presentable ED environment.
Eye Institute
Volunteers assist clinic staff with patient support such as assisting sight-impaired patients from registration to their clinic floor. Other duties include collating and assembling a variety of packets to be used by office staff, filing and answering the phone.
Family Center
Volunteers in the Family Center meet the immediate needs of family and friends of patients in intensive care or surgery. Volunteers communicate information to families, coordinate patient visits, provide hospitality services and assist with visitor access to professional staff.
West End Gift Shoppe
Volunteers staff the shop, operate the cash register, provide customer service and stock shelves. The West End Shoppe provides many conveniences for staff and visitors and is the largest fundraising effort of the Volunteer Associates for Froedtert Hospital.
Information Desks
Volunteers play a very important role in assisting our patients and visitors with way-finding, answering general questions and helping to maintain a safe and pleasant environment. Volunteers serve as a first point of contact for the hospital and do so with a warm smile and caring attitude.
Inpatient Nursing Floors
Volunteers in our inpatient units provide companionship to patients and help the time pass a little more quickly. Volunteers can also help ensure patients are comfortable and that basic needs are met and help nursing staff with certain assigned tasks.
Neoplastic Diseases Clinic (Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant)
Helping staff maintain a clean, comfortable and stocked clinic is the main goal of our volunteers in the Hem/Onc/BMT clinic. Volunteers are also asked to keep patients company and to disinfect equipment when instructed.
Pastoral Care
A pastoral care volunteer assists the Chaplaincy Department in providing spiritual support to patients of diverse religious backgrounds. Volunteers must complete an interview with the Chaplaincy department and qualify for the training program.
Patient Relations
Patient Visitors visit newly admitted patients to the hospital and provide information about hospital services, answer frequently asked questions and help direct families and friends to resources they might need. Patient Visitors also act as a liaison between the patient and/or family members and the Patient Relations department when issues or concerns might arise.
Radiology
Radiology volunteers help staff present a comfortable, pleasant and orderly environment for our patients. Volunteers help patients get one from one area of the hospital to another, keep linens and other supplies stocked, assist patients preparing for a test and assist the front desk staff with reception duties.
Spinal Cord Injury Center
Spinal Cord Injury Center Peer Advisors serve as role models and provide emotional support to newly injured individuals. Volunteers should be a recovering spinal cord injury patient. Volunteers must complete special training, which is provided within the department.
Stroke Center
Stroke Peer Visitors serve as role models and provide emotional support to patients. Volunteers should be recovering stroke patients. Volunteers must also complete special training which is provided within the department.
Transportation
Volunteers provide hospital and clinic patients throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois free car transportation to Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin facilities. Patients must be able to walk. A qualified volunteer must have a clean driving record.