Volunteers make a difference in the lives of our patients, families, visitors, and staff every day. The services provided by volunteers complement the skills of our professional staff by helping to make our patients' lives more pleasant and comfortable. Volunteers can be found throughout the hospital delivering and transporting, greeting and welcoming, and bringing comfort and diversion to patients and their families, generally improving the overall hospital experience for all of our guests.
Volunteer Services is committed to recruiting, selecting, and training individuals seeking opportunities to serve as long-term volunteers. Community volunteers are asked to make a minimum six-month commitment to a weekly three-hour service shift.
Prospective volunteers must be at least 18 years old to begin the preregistration process. If you are under the age of 18 and interested in pursuing a career in the health sciences, you should consider attending a UI Health Care STEM Education program. If you are an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a career in the health sciences, our College Student program is the best match for you.
In addition, all prospective volunteers who wish to serve in patient-facing roles must receive both the COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccinations. Volunteers who elect not to receive one or both of these vaccines are still welcome to serve with UI Health care and will be matched to roles that are non-patient facing.
Complimentary parking is available to reliable community volunteers during service.
If after reviewing these options you still have questions regarding the best program for your personal situation, please email volunteerservices@uiowa.edu.
Becoming a Community/Staff Volunteer
If you decide you are able to make a minimum commitment of three hours of volunteer per week for a total of 72 hours over six months after you have completed the necessary onboarding steps, we invite you to complete a preregistration form. Once your preregistration has been approved by our office, we will share specifics on the next steps of the onboarding process which include the following:
Watch our program videos and submit the required survey to verify your participation.
Review the Volunteer Handbook and pass your Competency and Confidentiality Assessment Quiz
Submit the following documents online or in-person to the Volunteer Services Office:
Confidential Volunteer Reference
Criminal Background Check Initialization Form
Complete a health screening through University Employee Health Clinic (UEHC), similar to the process our staff members go through for patient contact. The health screening is provided at no cost to you and includes proof of immunizations and a two-step tuberculin (TB) skin test. The entire process requires multiple trips to the hospital and may take several weeks to complete. For additional information on the TB screening requirements, visit the UEHC website.
Once your background check has cleared and you have completed a health screening, you will schedule a first interview with a Volunteer Services staff member and complete a total of ten orientation hours in the Volunteer Services Office to gain exposure to UI Hospitals & Clinics, UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, available amenities for our patients and visitors, and to learn more about our program. Office hours must be completed during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Have a placement interview with a Volunteer Services staff member to discuss a volunteer placement and referral. Once you have been placed, your minimum commitment of three hours of volunteering per week for a total of 72 hours over six months will begin.
If you are interested in becoming a community volunteer with UI Health Care and are able to make a minimum commitment of three hours of volunteer per week for a total of 72 hours over six months, please complete our preregistration form.
