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VolunteerTalk

Overview

VolunteerTalk
Where ideas are shared and questions answered

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Department’s “VolunteerTalk” List Server was established as a communications tool among hospital volunteer representatives to disseminate information or inquiries on key volunteer and health care issues.

To ensure appropriate and professional use of the List Server, CAHHS asks users to follow these guidelines when sending and/or replying to messages.  Please click here to review the VolunteerTalk Guidelines of Use.

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Department’s “VolunteerTalk” List Server was established as a communications tool among hospital volunteer representatives to disseminate information or inquiries on key volunteer and health care issues.

To ensure appropriate and professional use of the List Server, CAHHS asks users to follow these guidelines when sending and/or replying to messages.  Please click here to review the VolunteerTalk Guidelines of Use.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Insurance for Your Volunteer Programs

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Patricia Dooley, Director, Volunteer Services at Cottage Health in Santa Barbara, California:

Submitted May 21, 2020

As we navigate reintroducing volunteers within the hospital setting we’re reviewing our volunteer insurance policy and would appreciate your feedback related to your hospital insurance.

  • Does your hospitals workers compensation insurance include coverage for your hospital volunteer program? 
    • If no, does your volunteer program have a separate insurance policy?
  • Does your workers compensation and/or volunteer program insurance include virus coverage, including COVID-19?
  • Please share any liability waiver forms for your volunteer program.

Thank you!

Patricia Dooley, CAVS
Director, Volunteer Services
Cottage Health | Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
(805) 319-1789
pdooley@sbch.org

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment with your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Patient Unit Volunteer Duties

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Johanna Watt, Director, Hospitality Services at Loma Linda University Health in Loma Linda, California:

Submitted November 20, 2018:

What are some of the duties and responsibilities your patient unit volunteers perform. Please list.

Thank you!

Johanna Watt
Director, Hospitality Services
Loma Linda University Health
(909) 558-8413
joewatt@llu.edu

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment with your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Volunteer Training Requirements

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Johanna Watt, Director, Hospitality Services at Loma Linda University Health in Loma Linda, California:

Submitted November 20, 2018:

What training requirements are your volunteers required to take? Both one-time and annually? Specifically looking for things like fire extinguisher training and compliance-type courses. Are the requirements the same as those for employees?

Thank you!

Johanna Watt
Director, Hospitality Services
Loma Linda University Health
(909) 558-8413
joewatt@llu.edu

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment with your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Hospital National Volunteer Week

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Casey McGuire, Director, Volunteer Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California:

Submitted November 16, 2018:

We’re interested in learning more about how other hospitals honor and celebrate volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Please share your ideas, events and traditions!

Thank you!

Casey McGuire
Director, Volunteer Services
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
michael.mcguire@cshs.org

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment with your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Recruitment Best Practices

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Lisa Golden, CAVS, HTCP/I, Manager, Volunteer Services at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in Chula Vista, California:

Submitted October 29, 2018:

We’re about a year away from opening our new tower at Sharp Chula Vista and doubling our hospital and size and volume. Time to start thinking about recruitment!

Can anyone share their best practices and successes with regard to recruitment strategies and timelines? 

Thank you!

Lisa Golden, CAVS, HTCP/I
Manager, Volunteer Services
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
(619) 502-3606
lisa.golden@sharp.com

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment by leaving your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Massage Programs

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Senestraro, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

Submitted October 25, 2018:

I have a massage therapist who is interested in offering massage to staff once a month. I was wondering if anyone else had a program already set up and could share their process/practices? 

Thank you!

Sarah Senestraro
Area Manager, Volunteer Services
St. Joseph Hospital, Eureka/Redwood Memorial Hospital, Fortuna
(707) 672-6768
sarah.senestraro@stjoe.org

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment by leaving your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Volunteer Cuddle Program in the OB

The CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Senestraro, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

Submitted July 29, 2018:

We currently do not offer a cuddle program in our OB but want to explore the possibility of starting one. Can any of you with a successful program share your best practice findings and processes?

Thank you!

Sarah Senestraro
Area Manager, Volunteer Services
St. Joseph Hospital, Eureka/Redwood Memorial Hospital, Fortuna
(707) 672-6768
sarah.senestraro@stjoe.org

To respond, select “Add new comment” below.  

Be sure to conclude your comment by leaving your name, title, hospital and contact information.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Volunteer Dues and Fees

On April 2, 2018, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Jeannie Lee, Service League President at Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, California:

Does your hospital volunteer league/guild/auxiliary/department charge membership dues/fees for any of the following volunteer categories?  If so, would you please share the dollar amounts?

  • Adult
  • Student
  • Inactive
  • Active
  • Associate
  • Lifetime
  • Membership application

Thank you!

To respond, click “Add new comment” below. Please include your name, title and hospital.

Jeannie Yee
Service League President
Washington Hospital Healthcare System
(510) 818-5069
jeannie_yee@whhs.com 

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Patient Visitation Program

On November 14, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Cathy Mayer, Coordinator, Volunteer Services at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California:

I am hopeful to start a volunteer patient visitation program at my hospital. If anyone has a successful program and would be willing to share any information I would greatly appreciate it. Especially any scripting that you use that is successful.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Staff/Volunteer Ratios

On September 18, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Kathleen J. McIntire, CAVS, Director of Volunteer Services at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, in Los Angeles, California:

Acknowledging that each hospital scenario is different, I was hoping to obtain basic information to determine a staff/volunteer ratio.  Could you please tell me:

  1. ​​​How many staff do you currently have dedicated to volunteer management?
  2. How many volunteers do you/your staff oversee on average?

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Comfort Cart

On August 24, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Maria Strmsek, Director of Volunteer Services at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, California:

We have been asked to provide an Afternoon Comfort Cart for our patients and their visitors.  The suggestion I’ve been provided is to have magazines, books and some sundry items which they receive in their admission kits at the time they arrive.  Our new CNO also wanted to have food snacks on the cart but I’ve learned that those are normally provided by Food Services since they have the patients’ dietary restrictions.  We already provide a magazine cart most days but this is a different request.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Additional Staffing Justification Materials and Approaches

On June 29, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Karleen Ballmer, Volunteer Services Manager, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, California:

Would you please share with me the justification materials and strategies you use to request additional staffing resources for your department?

To respond, use our comment section below.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Mental Health Policy

On June 19, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Donna Nam, CAVS, Director of Volunteer Services at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orange, California:

In preparation for our opening of a mental health unit, I need to write a policy. I would appreciate hearing from anyone with a policy.

General Information

VolunteerTalk: On-Boarding Volunteers

On April 26, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Renner, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Health in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Pet Therapy

On February 10, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Fran Waller, MS, Director of Community Engagement, Outreach, Pathmaker Internship & Volunteer Development at Palomar Health in Escondido, California:

I am reaching out to those who have a Pet Therapy Program. Can you please send me any written procedures and protocols that you have for your programs? 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To respond use the comment section below.

Fran Waller, MS
Director of Community Engagement, Outreach, Pathmaker Internship & Volunteer Development
Palomar Health, Escondido
frances.waller@palomarhealth.org

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Recruitment to Churches/Civic Groups

On January 25, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Renner, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Health in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

I am getting ready to start doing some recruitment and am trying to draft a letter to send to churches and civic groups. I was wondering if any of you would be so kind as to share any letters you have sent that might help give me some direction or inspiration as to where to start. 

Many thanks!

To respond use the comment section below.

Sarah Renner
Area Manager, Volunteer Services
St. Joseph Hospital, Eureka/Redwood Memorial Hospital, Fortuna
sarah.renner@stjoe.org

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Physicals for Volunteers

On January 6, 2017, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Renner, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Health in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

Employee health wants to implement a physical that volunteers would have to pass before being allowed to volunteer. I was wondering what best practices were concerning this. Please share any practices/paperwork/conditions employee health requires before clearing a volunteer. 

Thank you!

To respond use the comment section below.

Sarah Renner
Area Manager, Volunteer Services
St. Joseph Hospital, Eureka/Redwood Memorial Hospital, Fortuna
sarah.renner@stjoe.org

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Warm Towel Project

On November 11, 2016, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Sarah Renner, Area Manager, Volunteer Services at St. Joseph Health in Eureka and Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna, California:

I am reaching out to see if anyone else in healthcare hands out warm towels to patients before meals much like they do on first class and some international flights?  It was an idea we thought we’d like to try implementing to increase patient satisfaction.  I am trying to garner any information I can to see how best to move forward.   

Any information you can share would be beneficial.  

Thank you!

To respond use the comment section below.

Sarah Renner
Area Manager, Volunteer Services
St. Joseph Hospital, Eureka/Redwood Memorial Hospital, Fortuna
sarah.renner@stjoe.org

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Student Volunteer Program

On October 21, 2016, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Char Fischer, Volunteer at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California:

We are building Shasta Regional Medical Center’s student volunteer program and are requesting examples of student volunteer position descriptions, manuals, and policies/procedures.  

Any information you can share would be beneficial.  

Thank you!

To respond use the comment section below.

Char Fischer
Volunteer
char.fischer65@gmail.com

General Information

VolunteerTalk: Hospital Volunteer Group Name

On October 14, 2016, the CAHHS Volunteer Services Office received the following inquiry from Linda Heider, Volunteer at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California:

Our hospital volunteer organization is exploring the idea of changing our name — ideally, to a really outstanding group name that will distinguish us from other volunteer groups at our hospital. We’re interested to know the names of other California hospital volunteer groups and hope you could share yours. Recommendations are greatly appreciated as well. 

Thank you!

To respond use the comment section below.

Linda Heider
Volunteer
linda_heider@elcaminohospital.org

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