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Volunteer Opportunities

McDowell Hospital has a variety of volunteer positions with flexible hours to suit a range of skills and talents.  The following list includes patient-related and non-patient-related volunteer placement areas.  If you are interested in volunteering, contact the hospital at 828-659-5000.

Registration Greeter

  • Assist patients to appropriate admission window or department
  • Communicates with patients and admission clerks
  • Provides wheel chair service for patients as needed
  • Assists with clerical duties, ED billing, and filing

Surgical Waiting Room

  • Maintain desk outside OR waiting room
  • Communicate with OR staff regarding surgical schedule
  • Communicates with patients and families in surgery waiting area, while maintaining patient confidentiality
  • Assist in maintaining a neat, clean surgery waiting area
  • Provide waiting family members with coffee, soda, etc.
  • Escort Pre-Op patients to destination

Front Lobby Greeter

  • Deliver mail to patients, obtain census from Switchboard to locate room number.  If patient has been discharged, call business office and get home address and forward to patient.
  • Deliver balloons or flowers to patients
  • Supply each child admitted with a balloon and a coloring book and crayons.
  • Answer Lobby phone
  • Help visitors and guests find their destination
  • Provide wheel chair service
  • Help in gift shop as needed
  • Distribute magazines and information brochures to waiting rooms

Window Box Gift Shop

  • Operate cash register
  • Answer telephone
  • Meet and greet potential customers
  • Maintain items for sale
  • Check supplies of tissue and gift bags
  • Put all paperwork for the day in the appropriate clipboards
  • Keep ribbons straight and neat
  • Blow up balloons as purchased
  • Wrap and bag merchandise

Labor & Delivery Dept.

  • Make charts as needed
  • Transport OB patient from ER to Labor & Delivery
  • Assist with discharge transport
  • Deliver ice and drinks to patient rooms

Emergency Department

  • Transport patients to other departments for tests or to assigned room for admission
  • Assist staff in patient satisfaction measures by updating patients who are waiting for tests, results, etc.
  • Replenish linen stocks as needed
  • Assist with cleaning of patient rooms and some reusable equipment
  • Keep stores of tubes, IV pumps, etc. in good supply
  • Assist patients as directed by staff
  • Listen to patients' concerns and, as appropriate, report those concerns to ED staff
  • Fill blanket warmer
  • Run errands and make pick-up and or deliveries for staff as requested
  • Assist with other duties as requested

Medical / Surgery Department

  • Transport (discharged) patients
  • Make admission packets
  • Empty recycle bins
  • Assist visiting family members
  • Make copies or charts
  • Check rooms for gloves and cal-stat
  • Transport Chemo for Outpatients
  • Refresh Ice Pitchers

Clerical

  • Filing in Doctor's Offices
  • Data Entry as needed

Pet Therapy Coordinator

  • Act as liaison between the volunteer dog/handler teams and patients, staff, & visitors
  • Accompany dog/handler teams to approved patient rooms
  • Actively facilitate visit between dog/handler teams & patient and document results
  • Help meet needs of patient families

Concierge Services

  • Seeks out guests in public areas who may need directions or assistance
  • Escorts visitors or guests to destinations and engages in conversation
  • Obtains wheelchairs for guests as needed
  • Provides assistance to visitors and guests as needed

Pet Therapy Handler

  • Each team consists of one dog and one handler (personal owner)
  • Seeks to improve patient's overall well-being through team visits
  • Seeks to reduce the possible stressful effects of hospitalization and make stay a more positive experience
  • *Handler must remain in control of dog at all times, including maintaining a hold on the leash

VolunTEENS

  • Jr. High / High School Students 14+ volunteer during school breaks and summer vacation