Volunteering at UChicago Medicine
[MUSIC PLAYING] The volunteer program allows us to recruit teams of individuals who can work with our volunteer staff to support the hospital, support our nursing team, support our physicians, support our administrative teams in taking care of our patients and enabling our community to have better experiences when they're here at the hospital. And also to enable our community, as we're out in the community, helping them to improve the health and outcomes of their lives.
Well, our volunteers perform an incredible service here to our patients and families each and every day. Throughout the medical program, through Child Life Comer Children's Hospital TLC program, our emergency department, our volunteers are here to serve patients and families each and every day in meaningful ways.
I am a Child Life volunteer at UChicago, so I interact with these kids in the hospital the same as I'd interact with any other kid, just treating them as normal and typical and trying not to make anything different about them being in the hospital and just playing with kids, like I would anywhere else, and trying to make their day just a little bit of what they're used to and something comforting and familiar to them.
In the TLC volunteers, volunteers like me go to visit patients, and we provide them with comfort and also offer items like magazines or puzzles, adult coloring pages in order to keep them occupied. I play the piano, and I really like it, and I like to share music with people. It'd be a perfect way to give back.
The way she plays, say especially for a patient in my shoes, it transports you to a very imaginary place. You're able to be somewhere where you know in reality you're not at that point. So it's beautiful. It sparkles.
Your help enables us to take better care of our patients, to help our community, and to help our team to be better providers of care. Thank you very much.
Thank you to our UChicago Medicine volunteers. You light up our community.
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March 2025 Update: We are currently accepting volunteer applications that will be in the Chicagoland area for the next 6 consecutive months. Prospective volunteers who are able to serve at least 6 consecutive months (including all summer months) can complete the summer volunteer application below.
If you are a student who is leaving the Chicagoland area for the summer months, please visit our website in early August for the next application season.
2025 Summer Volunteer Program: Application Open March 2025
UChicago Medicine is looking for highly motivated volunteers to enhance our patient and family experience this summer. If you are interested in a career in health care, home for the summer months, or want to make a difference in the community-our condensed summer program provides you the opportunity to engage with patients, families, and staff in a meaningful way.
Summer Requirements + Details
- You must be at least 16 years of age at the time your application is submitted.
- You must commit to 12 weeks of service, completing 100 volunteer hours from early June to late August. This is a recurring weekly commitment of about 8-10 hours per week.
- Application is due by May 9, 2025. We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. There are limited spots, and the application may close early if interview and/or program capacity is reached.
- Volunteer applicants must complete a virtual interview with a Volunteer Services Program Manager, be accepted, and complete the required onboarding process by June 9, 2025. Volunteer clearance can take 2-4 weeks depending on the applicant’s personal schedule and commitment.
- This opportunity is not available for B-1, B-2, H1-B, and H-4 visa holders. Applicants with permanent resident cards must provide a copy of their card to our office during the time of the interview.
- Please note: The COVID-19 vaccine and the annual influenza vaccine (pending time of year) is required to become a volunteer at UChicago Medicine. Masking in patient care areas is currently required at the medical center. Volunteers will not be assigned or paired with any patients who are COVID-19 positive or being tested for COVID-19.
How to Apply:
Submit an application using the link below. We will contact eligible applicants within 20 business days to set up a virtual volunteer interview.
Complete a volunteer application and begin your path to volunteering
Year Round Volunteer Requirements + Details
- You must be at least 16 years of age at the time your application is submitted.
- You must commit to 6 months of service, completing 100 volunteer hours. This is a weekly commitment of about 3-4 hours per week.
- Volunteer applicants must interview with a Volunteer Services Program Manager, be accepted into a program, and complete the required onboarding process. Volunteer onboarding can take 2-4 weeks depending on the applicant’s personal schedule and commitment.
- Be in good health and able to pass required health and drug screening and receive an annual influenza vaccination (during flu season).
- This opportunity is not available for B-1, B-2, H1-B, and H-4 visa holders. Applicants with permanent resident cards must provide a copy of their card to our office during the time of the interview.
- Please note: The COVID-19 vaccine and an annual flu vaccine is required to become a volunteer at UChicago Medicine. Masking in patient care areas is required at the medical center. Volunteers will not be assigned or paired with any patients who are COVID-19 positive or being tested for COVID-19.
Benefits of Volunteering
- Personal fulfillment
- Free skills training in volunteer work area
- Free health screenings, flu shot and parking in the visitors' garage
- Making new friends with service-oriented people
- Enhanced knowledge of healthcare system, hospital programs and services
- Annual volunteer banquet in recognition of your service at UChicago Medicine
Volunteer Opportunities in Hyde Park
Learn about volunteer programs on our main campus at UChicago Medicine and UChicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital.
Located in the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, volunteers in our Comprehensive Cancer Center make a difference in our patients’ lives.
Volunteers provide a healing and supportive environment to our patients and families in our hematology/oncology and infusion therapy clinics. They offer light refreshments, assist with directions, and most importantly, a listening ear. Additionally, volunteers assist with administrative tasks and restocking the food pantry on the unit.
Volunteers must be able to come in during weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and commit to at least four hours per week.
Volunteers are trained to hold infants in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to provide comfort and aid in their development. In addition to holding, volunteers are trained to read aloud to infants.
To be considered for this program, volunteers must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Complete 40 hours of service in our children’s playroom
- Receive recommendation from the Child Life and Volunteer Services staff
This program is highly prized and applicants must complete the prerequisites before advancing to the program. Waitlisting may apply.
The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is an evidence-based initiative designed to prevent delirium and functional decline in hospitalized older adults, typically aged 60 and above. By providing targeted interventions and compassionate care, HELP enhances the well-being and overall hospital experience of older patients during their stay.
HELP Volunteer Roles and Interventions
HELP volunteers are integral to the program, engaging directly with patients through the following interventions:
1. Orientation Communication
Volunteers provide companionship and socialization through structured visits. These interactions help patients maintain alertness, reduce confusion, and stay oriented to their environment.
2. Feeding & Meal Assistance
Volunteers support patients during mealtimes, assisting with meal setup and offering partial feeding help as needed to promote adequate nutrition and preserve dignity.
3. Therapeutic Activities
Volunteers deliver cognitively stimulating and enjoyable activities, such as puzzles, games, or reading materials, tailored to the patient’s preferences to improve their cognitive and emotional well-being.
HELP Volunteer Requirements:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Possess strong communication skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with the nursing team.
- Commit to a 4-hour weekly shift for at least one quarter, serving on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- Successful complete 20 hours of service in our TLC (Tender, Loving, and Care) Adult Visitor program
- Complete specialized delirium prevention training, including Zoom instruction and hands-on shadowing training.
Volunteer wayfinders provide a welcoming environment for patients and families in various locations on our medical campus. In high foot traffic areas, volunteer wayfinders provide stellar customer service as they guide patients and families to their destination while answering questions they may have along the way.
Wayfinder locations include the DCAM adult outpatient center and Comer Children’s Hospital’s main lobby.
This program is looking for engaging, self-directed, and friendly volunteers with great communication skills and a desire to work with a diverse community of patients, families, and staff.
Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Friday. Most needed times are between 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. There is a minimum of 2 hours per shift.
Under the direct supervision of the department manager, volunteers provide administrative support in various hospital departments. Their assistance makes an invaluable contribution to daily operations. Tasks can include data entry, filing, office organization, mailings, helping with informational patient materials, answering phones and providing excellent customer service to guests and staff.
Opportunities may be limited to weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Volunteers provide various activities to children in our pediatric outpatient clinic, promoting a more child and family-friendly experience during potentially long wait periods at Comer Children's. By facilitating quick crafts or helpful programming, volunteers help ease the hospital visit experience for children and caregivers.
In addition, this position will help to promote our Reach Out and Read program. Volunteers will assist in providing a literacy-rich environment, organizing books, and reading to children while they wait.
The outpatient waiting areas require a volunteer to be available during the weekdays, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scheduling is flexible but requires a recurring commitment of three to four hours per week.
Volunteer guides enhance the patient experience by welcoming and escorting patients to their lab appointment while providing an extra level of engagement, simultaneously improving the clinic’s patient flow.
This program is looking for enthusiastic, organized, and engaging volunteers who can work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. There is a minimum of 2 hours per shift.
Volunteers are paired with a child patient in our Child Life playroom. The playroom provides development activities that a child would normally do outside of the hospital setting. Activities include reading, arts and crafts, and playing games. Playful activities offer our pediatric patients a safe and fun escape from illness, tests and treatments. When a patient is unable to leave their hospital room, volunteers are trained to deliver and play activities at the bedside.
This program requires a volunteer to be engaging, interactive, friendly, and good with children of all ages.
Volunteers must be able to serve one of the following set shift times and serve the entirety of the shift each week.
Playroom shifts are:
Monday through Thursday
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
1 to 4:30 p.m.
4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
1 to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday (Waitlist may apply.)
1 to 4:30 p.m.
Located in the Center for Care and Discovery’s Sky Lobby, surgery waiting room volunteers provide a welcoming and healing environment for families as they wait for news about their patient’s surgery. Volunteers escort and reunite the families with the patient once the patient is out of surgery. Additionally, volunteers assist in light administrative tasks to help with the operational flow of the department.
Volunteers must be able to volunteer for at least four hours per week during weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
At the Center for Care and Discovery and Mitchell Hospital, volunteers provide a helping hand to our patients, families and staff.
Volunteers round on our adult inpatient units, checking in with each patient to provide more comfort during their stay. Whether offering reading materials, comfort items, a listening ear, or support, visits from volunteers encourage healing and ease to our patients and families. Additionally, volunteers assist with requests from patients, families and staff.
In addition to this volunteer role, we are looking for volunteers that have an interest in art or playing music for our patients.
TLC PROGRAM UPDATE: Volunteers should have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently. A minimum commitment of four hours per week, with a scheduled weekly shift, is required. Volunteers must be available to serve on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sixteen (16) is the minimum age to volunteer. We are legally unable to accept applicants younger than 16 years of age. Some select programs require volunteers to be at least 18 years of age.
Hospital volunteers are required to serve a minimum of six (6) consecutive months and complete 100 hours of service within a year. Most of our volunteer programs require a weekly shift of 3-4 hours.
Applicants accepted into our volunteer programs must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 16 years of age, 18 years of age for select programs
- Complete 100 hours and commit to six months of service
- Pass a mandatory health and drug screening completed through UChicago Medicine
- Complete and pass criminal background check
- Provide immunization history or be willing to receive missing immunizations including an annual influenza vaccine
- Receive general volunteer training and attend program specific volunteer training
- Volunteer opportunities are not available to B-1, B-2, H1-B, or H-4 visa holders
This opportunity is not available for B-1, B-2, H1-B, and H-4 visa holders. Applicants with permanent resident cards must provide a copy of their card to our office during the time of the interview.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate group volunteering or short-term volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in hosting a special event for children or making a donation, please contact the Child Life Department at 773-702-0407.
UChicago Medicine is a multi-site institution. There are three primary medical facilities that have hospital volunteer opportunities at this time:
- UChicago Medicine and Comer Children's in Hyde Park (main campus)
- UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey
- and UChicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care in Orland Park
Each location has different volunteer programs available that best suit the needs of the patients and families for that facility. Please be sure to read the volunteer programs offered at each facility and apply accordingly.
We do offer a summer-only program. The minimum requirements remain the same however volunteers must serve their 100 volunteer hours in 12 weeks. The open application begins in early March. The deadline to apply is mid-May. Those that do not apply by the application deadline are not eligible to begin the upcoming summer program.
UChicago Medicine does offer these types of opportunities, but they are not coordinated through the Volunteer Services office. If you are interested in an internship or to shadow a doctor, please contact the department you are interested in interning/shadowing directly. Opportunities are select and custom to each department. There are formal requirements and the approval and onboarding process can take up to six weeks.
All applicants must submit a volunteer application, be invited and attend an in-person interview, and complete the onboarding process (health/drug screening, background check, and training). Volunteers typically complete this in two to five weeks from the time accepted. There is no cost to volunteer at UChicago Medicine.
Volunteer Opportunities in the South and Southwest Suburbs
Learn about UChicago Medicine volunteer programs in Harvey and Orland Park.
Ingalls Memorial offers unique opportunities to help patients and their families on our Harvey campus.
Learn how you can apply to serve as a volunteer at Ingalls Memorial.
Patient Experience Support
A high profile position that enhances our patient experience, volunteers are responsible for providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for patients and visitors as they visit UChicago Medicine - Orland Park. Volunteers are stationed in our lobby and clinic areas, ready with a smile to address questions and take visitors to their destination.
Hours
You must be able to volunteer for at least four hours Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday between 8 a.m. and 12 noon.
How to Apply
Complete a volunteer application for our Orland Park location