Medical Services

The Medical Services Program is an opportunity for volunteers to combine invaluable community service with their educational experience, through human contact and support. Volunteers assist staff, patients, and families at medical facilities in Charlottesville: U.Va. Health System, Charlottesville Free Clinic and Martha Jefferson Hospital.

Medical Services is a year long commitment, beginning in the fall.

Summer Opportunities

If you are in town and interested in volunteering through the hospital during the summer, please visit U.Va.'s Health Systems website for more detailed information to see if you meet criteria: www.uvahealth.com. Click on "Give" and then "Volunteer Opportunities for Undergraduate Students" and then "Summer Volunteers."

Program Sites:

Acute Pediatrics

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers at the Acute Pediatrics Unit at the UVA Children’s Hospital work with the pediatric patients, ranging in age from six months to the early teens, and their families. Volunteers work with patients either in the preschool or in bedside visiting, and volunteers engage in a wide range of fun, age-appropriate activities with the children, including playing games, reading, helping with schoolwork, coloring, and assisting the nurse and staff as needed.

When?

Monday-Sunday; 9 am - 6 pm.

Bone Marrow

What Will the Volunteers Do?

When?

Cancer Center (ECCCC)

What Will the Volunteers Do?

In the Cancer Center, Madison House volunteers serve hot drinks, juices, pastries, and cookies to patients and their families during infusion treatments and in the waiting areas. Volunteers also escort patients through the large cancer center facility and in the radiation-oncology clinic.

When?

Monday-Saturday, Mornings and afternoons.

Cardiac Procedure Support

What Will Volunteers Do?

Volunteers assist in preparation for Cardiology and Angio-Interventional Radiology procedures in the Cardiovascular Transition Unit or Interventional Radiology Unit. They escort patients and families to various destinations on the unit; stock patient rooms with supplies; run many errands; answer phones; help with administrative tasks; assist nurses and techs with various tasks.

When?

Monday- Friday, 8-11am or 2-5pm

Charlottesville Free Dental Clinic

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers have an opportunity to seat patients, set up operation rooms and clean after each patient, assist dentists during teeth extractions, sterilize instruments, and much more!

When?

Monday-Thursday & Saturday, 8:30am-9pm

Charlottesville Free Clinic

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers at the CFC take on various tasks (front desk, work at the pharmacy, screen, exit interview) to assist in the facilitation of the Free Clinic and to help patients be seen more efficiently.

When?

Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday, 5-8pm

ED Clinic

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers spend a significant portion of their shifts completing hourly rounding (visiting patients, conversing, offering comfort measures, etc). In addition, volunteers stock supplies in various sections of the ED, assist nurses and staff with errands, and transport wheelchairs.

When?

Monday-Sunday, 9am-9pm

ED Patient Representatives

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers help coordinate services to families/friends of patients receiving care in the Emergency Waiting Room, act as their liaison with the medical staff, provide patient location information, and generally assist these visitors and patients in any non-medical way possible to make their wait less stressful.

When?

7 days/week, 10am-10pm

Escort and Wayfinding

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Escort and wayfinding vounteers help patients and their family members find their way around the hospital. They also can transport patients by wheelchair if the patients cannot walk.

When?

Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm.

Family Medicine

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers help out (read/play) with children who are in the FM clinic, help guide patients to their destinations, stock rooms, help out in the residency office, and conduct exit interviews.

When?

Every weekday 9-12 and 1-4, except Tuesday which is 9-12 and 1:30-4:30.

Hospital Administration

What Will the Volunteers Do?

When?

Hospitality Rounds

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Hospitality Rounds volunteers visit all newly admitted patients at the hospital and make sure that they are aware of all of the services and amenities that the UVA hospital has to offer patients. Hospitality Rounds volunteers also simply spend time of at the bedsides of newly admitted patients who would like some company.

When?

Monday-Thursday, 2-8pm

Hospital Administration

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Gift Shop: Saturdays and Sundays 10-1. Help out in the Hospital Gift Shop with the Community volunteers.

Every Women's Life:Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Help with administration work for the organization that helps women with ovarian cancer. Talks to patients on the phone.

4 West: Monday through Friday MORNINGS. Works the call button, answering patients requests in the in-patient cardiovascular unit. Assists the secretary

UMA: Monday-Friday morning. Talk to patients, hand out pamphlets and assist the nurses with everyday tasks. Also stock supply rooms.

Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Aquatics Program:
Volunteers work one-on-one with patients afflicted with various muscular disabilities in an aquatic setting implementing hydrotherapy skills, teaching swimming techniques and stretching patients to increase motor ability.

PACE Program:
Volunteers work with patients afflicted with various developmental delays by playing innovative games that aid in muscular development and develop each athlete's self-esteem and confidence. Volunteers will help organize and implement structured activities in a non-competitive environment during the program that will promote: cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, balance and coordination, trunk stability, upper and lower body strength, muscular endurance, team spirit, and self esteem.

When?

Aquatics Programs: Volunteers work Monday through Friday at various times beginning at 10:00 AM and ending at 7:30 PM.

PACE: Volunteers work on Tuesdays from 4:00 - 6:00 PM.

Martha Jeff Centralized Transport

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers assist patients from their room in the hospital to an imaging room or from the imaging room to their hospital room. Volunteers coordinate efforts and interact with Martha Jefferson Transport Employees, Nurses, and, of course, the Patients themselves, in an effort to enrich their experience at Martha Jefferson both through the medical service they supply and the personal interactions they are afforded.

When?

Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

Martha Jefferson Cornell 2

What Will the Volunteers Do?

This unit is primarily an oncology unit, having mostly geriatric patients. Volunteers will visit with patients, fulfill basic requests of patients, answer the call bell, interact with nurses and aids, stock supplies, make beds, transport patients to hospital entrance for discharge, take specimens to lab, and act as general support for nurses on the floor.

When?

Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm.

Martha Jefferson Emergency Room

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers are responsible for preparing rooms for new patients, transporting samples to the labs, transporting patients to the imaging department, and making patients' stay at Martha Jefferson as comfortable as possible.

When?

Monday-Sunday, 9am-9pm

Martha Jefferson OR

What Will the Volunteers Do?

We help the staff change over the rooms in between surgeries. It's mostly keeping track of the schedule, cleaning up from the previous surgery and prepping for the next one.

When?

Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm.

MICU

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers in the MICU mostly assist the staff in a wide variety of administrative tasks including answering phones and call bells, filing and putting medical charts together, restocking medical supplies and being a runner to the pharmacy and blood bank.

When?

Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm.

Outpatient Surgery

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers make rounds between the waiting room and the post operational room, assisting nurses in bringing the family members to see the patients. They also introduce themselves to everyone in the waiting room, explain how the patient tracking system works, make patient charts, and help the front desk with other tasks.

When?

Monday-Friday, 6am-6pm.

Pharmacy

What Will the Volunteers Do?

During a typical shift they help fill prescriptions (if certified), restock medications, aid with paperwork, tube medications to the rest of the hospital, and help with other duties performed by the pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.

When?

Sunday-Saturday, 1-10pm

SAS

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers make blue/white packs for the SAS staff containing a blanket, gown, cap, socks and plastic bag for incoming patients, in addition to blood packs. General volunteer duties also involve picking up and delivering blood items for the OR, assisting in bringing patients and family members up from the waiting room, making stretchers with clean linens, and assisting the nurses' desks with any administrative tasks!

When?

Monday-Friday, 7am-1pm

SISI

What Will the Volunteers Do?

SISI volunteers are assigned daily to appointments throughout the hospital for medical interpretation. During their 3 hour shift, volunteers cover between 2-4 appointments, in which they facilitate communication between patients and their medical team. Volunteers also complete inpatient rounds, call patients to confirm appointments, and may also help translate documents for patients/doctors.

When?

Volunteers have a 3 hour shift any time between 8am-6pm Monday through Friday!

Surgical Supply and MERCI

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Surgical Supply: Supply operating rooms at UVa Hospital with tools and equipment needed for operations.

MERCI: Package unused medical supplies to be shipped to various clinics around Charlottesville and worldwide.

When?

Surgical Supply: Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm

MERCI: Thursday, 9am-4pm

TCV-PO

What Will the Volunteers Do?

TCV-PO is an intensive care unit for patients who have just undergone heart or lung surgery and are still in critical condition. On this unit, volunteers assist staff in a wide variety of tasks including transferring blood work and drugs, answering phones, making patient charts, and interacting with patients & their families.

When?

Monday-Friday, 10am-8pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm.

UVa CARE

What Will the Volunteers Do?

UVa CARE (which stands for theUniversity of Virginia Center for Addiction Research and Education) conductsresearch specifically about nicotine, alcohol, marijuana and cocaineabuse. Volunteer responsibilities includedata entry, contacting patients and assisting staff with other activities.

When?

Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

UVa Dental

What Will the Volunteers Do?

Volunteers are able to viewdental procedures (with patient permission), escort patients to exam rooms,stock dental supplies, and assist the front desk staff as needed. Volunteersshould be able to independently circulate within the clinic and communicateeffectively with staff and patients. Scrubs are provided and must be wornduring each shift. Tennis shoes should be worn for each shift as well.

When?

Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm.