Volunteer Opportunities

As a leader in musculoskeletal health and among the top-ranked organizations for orthopedics and rheumatology, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved. Now more than ever, our guiding principles are helping us in our search for exceptionally talented candidates who align with our unique workplace culture and who want to maximize the abundant opportunities for growth and success.

As all HSS volunteers and interns are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and the seasonal flu, we encourage you to get your shots now.

Steps to volunteer at HSS

To comply with HSS policies, volunteers and interns must complete the following steps before beginning to volunteer at HSS:

1. Email your resume and cover letter to volunteering@hss.edu. Please note, we will only accept cover letters that include the following details:
   • A detailed description of your background experience
   • Specific areas of interest for volunteering (please see description of available opportunities below)
   • Your schedule to volunteer (i.e., M-W 9 am-3 pm)
2. Should we determine that you may be a good fit for a particular volunteer program, we will reach out to you for an initial virtual interview.
3. If the interview is successful, we will then forward your resume and cover letter to the applicable site supervisor for a second interview.
4. the second interview is positive, we will start the application and orientation process.
5. Once you have completed the application and orientation forms, you will be instructed on how to get medically cleared by the hospital.

Please note, on average our process takes about 3-4 weeks to complete.

Requirements

From Fall through Spring volunteers/interns are required to donate at least 150 total hours over a 6-month period with a minimum of 5 hours per week.

During the summer months’ volunteers/interns are required to donate at least 100 hours within a 10 week period with a minimum of 10-12 hours per week.

Volunteers/interns must be 16 years of age or older.

Current opportunities for volunteering/interning

• 4^th Floor Family Atrium:  The volunteer will help to formally greet patients and visitors upon arrival and assist with ensuring patient and visitors comply to all COVID19 guidelines.  The volunteer will also be responsible for assisting and escorting families to Pre-OP/PACU, identify patient/visitor issues and escalate to Patient Liaisons, circulate the room to engage with families, assist with maintaining a neat and professional environment and overall be a center of resource for patients and visitors on the day of surgery.

• 4th Floor Pre OP Area: The volunteer will help support operations for the busiest holding area in the hospital, which averages approximately 75-80 cases per day.  The volunteer will be responsible for prepping patient beds, cleaning necessary equipment, patient transport as well as transferring patient belongings from Pre-Op holding area to property room on 4th floor.  Volunteers will report directly to Service Excellence while also maintaining active and constant communication during shifts with clinical leadership for 4th Floor Pre OP area (Patient Care Director, Charge Nurses)

• Ambulatory Care Center: The volunteer in the Ambulatory Care Center at 475 E. 72^nd Street welcomes and greets patients, provides instructions and directions, and/or guides patients as needed to the correct location. The volunteer serves as a liaison between the patient and the ACC areas, offering snacks, providing communication about waiting time, and other information as needed. A professional, courteous, efficient manner with attention to detail is essential. The volunteer is responsible for ensuring a coordinated and consistent patient experience through the clinical practice area. We are looking for long-term volunteers and the busiest days/times are M-TH from 10 AM-3 PM.

• The Hospitality Cart: This program is a joint venture between HSS and Ronald McDonald House where volunteers offer beverages and healthy snacks for families who have children receiving medical treatment at HSS. The volunteers will provide a break from the stressors facing the caregivers by giving them a brief moment to recharge, only steps away from their child. Volunteers must adhere to Polices and Boundaries Guidelines by HSS and RMH.  Because you will be working with the pediatric population all volunteers for this program are required to get a T-DAP vaccine.  Hours needed for this program are currently Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 PM-5 PM.
• The HSS Youth Sports Safety Program: The HSS Youth Sports Safety Program intern will be responsible for providing administrative and project support and data tracking. This individual will need to develop a broad understanding and knowledge of the institution, the HSS strategy and mission, and the core principles of education and outreach. The intern will need to establish excellent working relationships with the Youth Sports Safety team as well as internal customers in other departments and external partner organizations. We are looking for someone with a strong background in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Google Suite (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides) as well as outstanding communication and human interaction skills.  Preference will be given to those with knowledge or degree in Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Physical Education, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, or any other closely related field.
• In-patient Nursing floor:  The volunteer will help humanize hospitality and service delivery to patients by identifying and communicating patient needs during their stay.  They will assist nursing staff with non-clinical duties such as patient transports, visitor escorts, and other duties as needed.  The volunteer should have excellent customer service skills, actively pursuing a career in the medical field and able to multi-task and be mobile.  Do note, volunteers cannot perform patient related clinical duties of HSS staff members.
• Nursing Administration:  The volunteer in this role will be responsible for maintaining the clerical functions of the office which includes coordination of file archive, managing inventory, mail pick and distribution.  The volunteer will work closely with various nurses and admin staff.  Other special projects would include Nurse’s Week Initiative and data entry to the Nursing intranet pages.  Flexible with preferred days/times including M/W with hours between 9am-4pm.
• Patient Navigation and Transport: The volunteer is responsible for creating a welcoming environment by greeting all patients and visitors upon arrival and taking temperature checks. Escorts patients and/or families to various destinations in the hospital. Identifies, resolves, or reports patient issues to appropriate areas for prompt and effective resolution that can help elevate the service excellence standards of the hospitals. Creates a mechanism of patient feedback and starts administering it. Maintains confidentiality of patient information at all times in compliance with HIPAA. Provides general information about hospitals and their amenities as well as the neighborhood resources (food, transportation, accommodation, etc.).
• Patient Accounting: The purpose of the department is to ensure that money is collected from insurance companies and patients who have received services from the Hospital. It is critical that all of these interactions are conducted in a professional, courteous, efficient manner with attention to detail. Volunteers will be responsible for correcting invalid patient addresses, working with a computerized patient database, preparing reports as assigned and other basic tasks in support of the department’s mission.
• Patient Experience: The internship will provide exposure to leadership and departments that contribute to the patient’s experience. The intern will be involved with the coordination and implementation of process improvement efforts across the hospital to elevate the patient experience and will impact the service delivery for patients. The intern will assist with completing custom reports for patient experience stakeholders, collaborate on communication and engagement materials consistent with institutional branding and design guidelines, as well as work on completion of PowerPoint slides and materials for presentations.  Preference will be given to students enrolled in master’s-level programs earning degrees in public health, public policy, public administration, communication, business, or similar disciplines.  Must be proficient in Excel knowledge.
• Rehabilitation:  Volunteer experiences in Rehabilitation include outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Please be aware that we do not offer inpatient acute care experiences. Please check the specific requirement of any schools to which you may be applying. Additionally, volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Volunteers are responsible for preparing and storing exercise equipment, preparing towels, and pillowcases, restocking supplies, keeping the treatment area clean, offering clerical support as needed, and assisting rehab technicians and therapists as requested.

Volunteer Shifts for Rehab:

Monday-Saturday; based on clinic needs

• Hours are site-specific and are not earlier than 7 am and not later than 8 pm
• 1-hour allotted for lunch if a volunteer is working a full 7-hour shift
• Days and times are scheduled based on volunteers’ availability and the needs of the site

Please note we will have more volunteer/internship opportunities in the near future.  Do check back periodically for new openings.

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 that have openings. Please be aware that volunteering with us does not guarantee employment.

For more information, email volunteering@hss.edu or call 212.606.1228.