Hospital for Special Surgery's Volunteer Opportunities

Looking for an Interesting and Rewarding Volunteering Experience in New York City?

• Information Desk: Volunteers direct patients and visitors to all areas throughout the hospital and provide escort as needed. They welcome all who approach the front desk with a warm, professional and efficient manner. Volunteers are trained to use Clinstar software, provide phone reception, run errands, and compile patient packets.
  
• Physician Practice Liaison: Formally welcome and log in all patients and visitors, provide directions, escort and updates regarding wait times and the progress of the patient’s journey. Volunteers work closely with registrars, nurses and doctors’ office staff.
  
• Language Services: Volunteers undergo a 60-hour Medical Interpreter’s Training in order to support the department in providing interpretation to patients, translation of documents as well as running errands and lending clerical support.
  
• Patient Care Unit: Volunteers will provide welcome and orientation to new patients on our 6th and 7th Nursing Floors. You will also assist the nursing staff with discharge of patients, pharmacy rounds, obtaining wheel chairs, responding to patient requests for nutritional services, pastoral care needs and other non-technical assistance. Volunteers will shadow nurse managers, CNIII’s or charge persons.
  
• Volunteer Department: Provide a warm and professional reception to all volunteers, visitors and staff. Volunteers are trained to manage a volunteer database and assist in events planning. In addition volunteers assist in human resource functions including reference checks and processing volunteers from their initial interest through first-day on-boarding.
  
• Patients’ Library: Volunteers deliver books and magazines to our in-patients, assist with book sales, and help maintain the library collection. Volunteers should enjoy interacting one on one with patients and be able to maneuver a cart with books. In addition, volunteers are trained to advocate for the patients thereby enhancing the overall patient experience.
  
• Office Management Assistance in a variety of areas, including:

  • Pathology Lab
  • Medical Records/Health Information Mgt.
  • Pre-Surgical Screening

• Research: The Volunteer Department does not actively recruit for this position. However, contact our office and a listing of doctors who are able to utilize research volunteers in their respective areas will be provided.
  
• Department of Social Work Programs, including:
  

  • Lupus Support Programs: LupusLine, Charla de Lupus/Lupus Chat, and LANtern (Lupus Asian Network): Volunteers with lupus receive training in order to serve as a culturally relevant peer support and education source for people with lupus and their families.
    
  • VOICES Program: The VOICES Program provides patients with information and advocates for any needs that arise in regard to their arthritis-related illnesses, such as negotiating Medicaid and accessing community resources.
    
  • VOICES 60+ Senior Advocacy Program: Volunteers help patients access the care, community resources, and education they need to improve their quality of life. Bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers are especially needed.

Volunteers must be 15 years and older, are required to donate at least 150 total hours to the hospital over a six month period with a minimum of four to five hours per week. We have limited weekend and evening availability. Summer volunteers are required to give a minimum of 100 hours in a two month period with a minimum of ten to twelve hours per week. Summer applicants should contact us starting in late March.

This time commitment allows the volunteer to make a real impact on his or her project area and provides the greatest return of personal satisfaction. When volunteers reach this milestone they become eligible for letters of recommendation to prospective schools and potential employers.

NOTE: Due to the number of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to everyone. We will respond to applicants whom we determine to be good matches for programs which have openings. Please be aware that volunteering with us does not guarantee employment.

For more information, email hafizs@hss.edu or call Shahan Hafiz or Wendy Yondorf at 212.606.1228.