Claire Dawson
Volunteering at a hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, can be a rewarding way to help your community and make a difference in patients' lives. Hospitals such as Indiana University Health (IU Health) and Riley Children's Health offer a range of volunteer opportunities for adults, students, and even pets. Volunteers provide comfort, assistance, and support to patients and their families during their stay and throughout the healing process. Opportunities to volunteer can vary and may include working in guest relations, gift shops, emergency rooms, or directly with patients and their families. Some hospitals may require volunteers to be at least 18 years old and commit to a certain number of service hours or shifts. To get started, prospective volunteers typically need to complete an application form and may undergo training specific to their assigned area.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Volunteer opportunities | Coloring with patients, delivering flowers to new moms, cuddling babies in the NICU, greeting and welcoming visitors, sharing information with visitors and patients, providing wheelchairs/wagons, helping with celebrity readers, creating Riley Reading Time, taking pictures of books for Riley Reading Time, recording e-books, serving in the Family Room spaces, etc. |
| Volunteer requirements | Age 18 and above, students aged 14-17 for summer opportunities, 80 service hours for traditional volunteers, 50 service hours for students, 4-hour shifts per week, completion of initial assignments, business casual attire, etc. |
| Volunteer benefits | Free parking, sense of fulfillment, deeper connection to the community, chance to make a difference in a patient's life, etc. |
| Volunteer organizations | Indiana University Health, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center, Riley Children's Health, State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana (SERV-IN), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) |
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What You'll Learn
Volunteer roles at IU Health
Volunteers at IU Health are placed in roles where their talents are best utilised to serve the overall needs of patients and guests. Volunteers are assigned to work directly with patients and families, as well as behind the scenes, to provide comfort and assistance throughout the healing process.
Volunteers at IU Health hospitals across Indiana have the opportunity to work in guest relations, gift shops, emergency rooms, and on patient floors. Volunteers are also involved in the Patient & Family Advisory Councils, which are conducted entirely through email. These councils are made up of former patients and their family members or friends, and they provide valuable feedback on healthcare topics and their experiences with IU Health.
- Greeting and welcoming visitors in the hospital, providing information, and guiding them to their destinations
- Helping the Child Life staff provide patients with play opportunities and activities that reduce stress and anxiety, as well as supporting families and staff
- Assisting in the library, which may include helping with celebrity readers, creating Riley Reading Time, taking pictures of books, and recording e-books
- Coloring with patients at Riley Children's Health
- Delivering flowers to new moms at IU Health Arnett Hospital
- Cuddling babies in the NICU at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital
Volunteers at IU Health are required to be over the age of 18 and commit to a certain number of service hours. Traditional volunteers are asked to commit to 80 service hours, while students are asked to commit to a minimum of 50 service hours. Shifts are typically scheduled as four-hour shifts per week, and volunteers are required to dress in business casual attire.
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Volunteer opportunities at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana
Volunteers are essential to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana, where they support families and staff through a variety of meaningful roles. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and serve every other week for a minimum of six months, with shifts ranging from 1.5 to 3 hours.
Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana help parents and family members whose children are receiving treatment at Indianapolis-area hospitals. They make guests feel welcome and comfortable, take care of day-to-day needs, and play a vital role in helping families heal together.
Volunteers can also support families by welcoming them at the front desk, driving supplies between locations, or working behind the scenes to ensure that new families have a clean and comfortable space to rest. There are also opportunities to interact directly with families, such as through the Hospitality a la Carte program, where volunteers bring coffee, snacks, toiletries, and gifts directly to families. Pet Therapy volunteers are also integral to the mission, offering emotional comfort, reducing stress, and bringing joy to families.
In addition to individual volunteers, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana offers volunteer opportunities for service groups of 3-10 individuals for one-off activities. These may include cooking a meal or sponsoring an event.
To become a volunteer, individuals must complete an online application, participate in a phone conversation with RMHC staff, pass a background check, and attend a virtual orientation and other necessary trainings. Volunteers interested in serving in the Family Room spaces at Riley Children's Health must also meet additional onboarding requirements in accordance with the hospital's guidelines.
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Volunteering at Riley Children's Health
Volunteer positions at Riley Children's Health are tailored to the interests and skills of individuals, ensuring a meaningful experience for both the volunteers and those they serve. Examples of volunteer roles include:
- Greeting and guiding visitors, providing directions, and assisting with wheelchairs or wagons.
- Supporting the Child Life staff by creating play opportunities and activities that reduce stress and anxiety for patients, while also offering support to families and staff.
- Assisting in the library with tasks such as celebrity readings, creating Riley Reading Time, taking pictures of books, and recording e-books.
- Participating in Service Projects, which are open to groups of individuals aged 18 and above.
Volunteers at Riley Children's Health are required to be at least 18 years old and commit to a minimum of 50 service hours, typically scheduled as four-hour shifts per week. The application process involves submitting an online application, followed by an interview and orientation. Volunteers receive training for each newly assigned area, encompassing basic workplace instructions and unit-specific information.
Additionally, for those interested in serving in the Family Room spaces at Riley Children's Health, there are additional onboarding requirements in accordance with the hospital's guidelines. This includes a background check and a virtual orientation.
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Richard L. Roudebush Veterans' Administration Medical Center
The Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center is located two miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis. The hospital is named after Richard L. Roudebush, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1971 and in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1944 as a demolition specialist. The medical center is part of the VA Indiana Healthcare System, which provides health care services at 15 locations in central and southern Indiana.
The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center is a teaching hospital that offers a full range of health services for veterans, with state-of-the-art technology, education, and research. The facility has been serving Indiana veterans since 1932 and is the flagship of the Indiana VA system. It is also one of the few VA Primary Stroke Centers in the nation, with a multidisciplinary stroke team providing acute and subacute care. The center has a 24/7 emergency department, ICU, neurology, neurosurgery, and a designated stroke and rehab unit.
Volunteer opportunities are available at the medical center, with VA volunteers helping to guide patients to their appointments. The Volunteer Transportation Network also helps transport ambulatory veteran patients with no other means of transportation to the VA medical facilities. Additionally, the medical center runs a shuttle service that is handicap accessible from the Veterans House at the Cold Spring Road campus to the medical center.
The VA Indiana Healthcare System is dedicated to improving the lives of veterans and their families and conducts medical research to advance health care for veterans and the nation.
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State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana
Indiana has a range of volunteer opportunities in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Indiana University Health, for example, offers volunteer roles in guest relations, gift shops, emergency rooms, and on patient floors. Volunteers provide comfort and assistance to patients and their families.
For those specifically seeking to volunteer in a hospital in Indianapolis, there are several options. Indiana University Health, for instance, has a Volunteer Program in Indianapolis that requires applicants to be over the age of 18, or 14-17 during the summer. Volunteers are required to make a commitment of 80 hours, or 50 hours for students, typically scheduled as four-hour shifts per week. Volunteers receive training and parking is provided at no cost.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana is another organization that offers volunteer opportunities in Indianapolis. This charity supports families with children receiving treatment at Indianapolis-area hospitals. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and commit to serving for a minimum of six months, with shifts ranging from 1.5 to 3 hours.
In addition to these regular volunteer programs, Indiana has a State Emergency Registry of Volunteers (SERV-IN) for those interested in assisting the public health and healthcare system during events or disasters. SERV-IN is an electronic registration system and database of local, regional, and statewide volunteer programs for medical and non-medical volunteers. When a disaster occurs, volunteers may be asked to help at the local, state, or national level depending on their credentials, interests, and availability. SERV-IN is managed locally to register, credential, and alert volunteers.
Indiana also has 25 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units established with local health departments, one university-based MRC unit with Indiana University, and one state agency-based MRC unit with the Indiana Board of Animal Health. MRC units are federally recognized groups of volunteers who actively train and prepare to aid their communities in the event of a disaster. These units use SERV-IN to register, manage, message, and engage volunteers.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at hospitals in Indianapolis. Here are some examples:
- Greeting and guiding visitors and patients at the hospital.
- Assisting the Child Life staff in providing play opportunities and activities that reduce patients' stress and anxiety.
- Helping with various tasks in the library, such as celebrity readings, creating Riley Reading Time, and recording e-books.
- Delivering flowers to new mothers or cuddling babies in the NICU.
- Supporting families with children receiving treatment at Indianapolis-area hospitals through the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana.
The time commitment for volunteering at a hospital in Indianapolis can vary depending on the organization and the type of volunteer position. Some organizations require a minimum commitment of 50 to 80 hours, while others ask for a minimum of six months with shifts ranging from 1.5 to 4 hours every week or every other week.
The application process for becoming a volunteer at a hospital in Indianapolis typically involves completing an online application form, participating in interviews or phone conversations, undergoing a background check, and attending orientation and training sessions. Some hospitals may have specific requirements, such as age limits or additional onboarding steps, so it is important to review the volunteer requirements and opportunities before applying.
