Advocate Health

Ambassadors and wayfinders welcome and escort patients and visitors throughout the hospital making them feel welcome and safe. You are helping to set the stage for a successful visit with us and you may be the last impression as they leave. This is a powerful role to help ensure our patients and visitors do not worry about where or how they get to their destination within our facilities. You help reduce that anxiety so they can focus on their healing journey.

Volunteers support our cancer patients in many ways throughout their cancer journey. Some serve in our chemotherapy infusion areas to offer snacks, warm blankets, and anything else a patient may need while they undergo their hours-long treatments. Some serve to assist the staff with stocking supplies and checking on our waiting patients and visitors. The caring hearts of our volunteers touch the lives of hundreds of cancer patient every week. 

Prayer shawls, lap blankets, quilts, baby hats, stuffed toys...the list goes on and on with the many ways our talented volunteers share their gifts with our patients! We welcome any and all ideas of handmade items to lift the spirits of our patients. If you have an idea of something you'd like to share, please let us know and we'll work with you to ensure it is safe for the hospital environment.

Be the face of the department as your welcome patients and visitors and assist them to get settled and prepared for their appointment. Volunteers play a key role in decreasing patient's anxiety by providing a warm and welcoming approach focused on setting the stage for a successful visit. Volunteers also help patient's loved ones adjust and provide constant communication to them in areas where procedures or day surgeries may be taking place. Our goal is to provide that caring and emotionally supportive environment for the department. 

Volunteers do amazing work behind the scenes to help many departments with special projects such as creating patient education folders, helping staff phones, stocking items or assisting with computer projects. We'll help you find the right project work that interests you!

Volunteers in this role provide fun, creative outlets and positive distractions for patients to help them fight boredom, stay positive and find joy during their hospital stay. Volunteers offer books, games, puzzles and more by bringing activity carts to the inpatient units. Volunteers may also help run organized group activities such as bingo, trivia or craft projects for our patients in rehabilitation, as part of our cancer centers or for our patients in behavioral health. It is an energizing and fun role to interact in a meaningful way with patients!

We have a variety of volunteer roles focused on supporting the inpatients and our nursing teams. Our goal is to ensure every inpatient has the support they need during their stay and an excellent patient experience. Volunteers visit assigned patients regularly and use active listening skills to check in on their needs and provide emotional support. We also have volunteers who visit with activity carts and fresh baked cookies (at some locations) to lift their spirits.

Our four-legged friends and their volunteer handlers bring joy and reduce anxiety for patients, visitors and teammates through our animal assisted therapy program. Dogs and at some sites, miniature horses, must be certified for animal assisted (pet) therapy and visit throughout our hospitals. They are beloved by all!