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 six-month commitment to a weekly three-hour service shift 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:
- Register and attend a two-hour Volunteer Information Session.
- At the Volunteer Information Session, submit a criminal background check consent form and a confidential reference.
- Complete a health screening similar to the process our staff members go through for patient contact. The health screening is provided at no cost to you and includes a two-step tuberculin skin test. The entire process may take several weeks to complete.
- After a first interview with a Volunteer Services staff member, volunteer for 10 hours out of the Volunteer Services office to gain exposure to the UI Hospitals & Clinics, Stead Family Children’s Hospital, patient and family amenities, and learn about our program. Office hours must be completed during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Have a placement interview with a Volunteer Services staff member to discuss referral to a unit.
- Once you have been placed in a unit, a minimum commitment of three hours of volunteering per week for six months is required.
If you're interested in becoming a community volunteer with UI Health Care, and are able to make a minimum six-month commitment to a weekly three-hour service shift, please complete our online preregistration form .
How Do You Want to Help?
You can choose from nearly 100 different volunteer positions.