According to Business First, Dolly Anderson, volunteer coordinator at Baptist Hospital East in St. Matthews, Kentucky, typically works with her hospital’s 300 volunteers, most of whom are retirees in their 60s or 70s. She oversees 140 junior hospital volunteers, high school students pursuing careers in the medical field.
With only the help of the gift-shop manager and one assistant, Anderson must keep track of training requirements and state-mandated records for each volunteer, which include a clear criminal record check, proof of tuberculosis testing, proper training, and completion of volunteer orientation. She also coordinates the volunteer application and interviewing process, noting what hours volunteers can work, what their physical limitations are, and where their abilities and interests lie.
Volunteers may deliver mail or flowers to patients’ rooms, staff the information desk, assist patients as they are discharged, or help with patient transport.
''Whether they want to have more patient contact or an office-type area, we try to match them up to what their interests are,'' Anderson said.
This past year, Volunteer Coordinator Hilda Vandekemp of Winchester District Memorial Hospital in Winchester, Ontario, managed 33 volunteers who worked a total of 4,035 hours, according to the hospital’s online annual report. In the course of the past year, she also visited high schools to speak about volunteering and to recruit students. In addition, she headed Pennies for Oma, a project that raised $1,387.18 during the last year and has a goal of getting a million pennies.
Successful candidates for the position of hospital volunteer coordinator often have a bachelor’s degree with about three years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and recruiting, marketing, and working with volunteers. Employers often look for experience as a working manager in a customer service or retail environment. Additionally, candidates should be proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel, as much of the job involves office-related work.
