Volunteer Opportunities at Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist Hospital at the Texas Medical Center welcomes volunteers who want to offer their time, talent and dedication. Volunteers provide a valuable service to both patients and families. There are a variety of volunteer roles to fit individual time commitments, schedules, abilities and interests. Volunteers may work directly with patients or choose to work behind-the-scenes, providing administrative or customer support.
Volunteer Programs
This program is usually suited for volunteers that are looking for a way to give back, and want to volunteer for the social or philanthropic reward. Volunteers are typically retirees, stay-at-home moms, recently moved to Houston, or are looking to fill your time with a rewarding volunteer experience. This program is very flexible for full-time professionals, looking to give a few hours a week on the evenings or weekend. The long-term program has a commitment of at least 6 months, with either a weekly three-hour shift, a biweekly four-hour shift on the weekend, or a weekly two-hour shift in the evening. Incentives offered with this program include Houston Methodist Wellness Center access, invitations to special hospital events and seminars, surgery viewing, and a discount in the hospital Gift Shop.
Resume Builders
This program is suited for volunteers that are currently unemployed and want to keep their resume and skills fresh. Volunteers are usually seeking full-time work, and plan to volunteer temporarily until they find employment. Others are seeking a second career in health care, or looking to explore other career opportunities. Incentives offered with this program include: Recommendation letter, and valuable health care experience.
Health Care Education or Experience
For volunteers who are looking for an assignment that will help expand their education in a clinical setting. Volunteers are typically considering a career in health care and would like experience or exposure into the hospital environment, providing patient or administrative support. This program is geared towards college students, recent graduates from undergraduate and graduate programs, and those considering returning to school within the next two semesters. This is a semester long commitment, or minimum of 4 months, based on a traditional university semester schedule and requires completion of at least 70 volunteer hours. Program participants must complete 2 shifts per week (at least 3 hours per shift). You are welcome to continue volunteering past one semester as long as your remain compliant and continue reporting to a volunteer assignment on a regular basis. Incentives offered with this program include: letter of recommendation, surgery observation, and valuable experience in a health care setting.
Episodic or One-Time Volunteering
For volunteers that are looking for intermittent or one-time projects, drives, or events to participate in. Volunteers are contacted whenever one-time projects are available. This program requires no minimum hour commitment, but has a 20-hour maximum per year. Volunteers in this program will have no direct patient contact, but they participate in projects that greatly impact the patient population. Previous events include providing volunteer assistance at: Holiday art volunteer, Lemonade Cart, Wassail Wagon, Student Athlete Physicals and more.
Volunteer Assignment Opportunities
*Assignment availability will vary, and depend on both departmental and volunteer schedules.
Administrative Offices
Volunteers assist the office staff by answering phones, copying, running errands and performing other jobs and special job-related duties as requested. Volunteers are positioned in hospital offices such as the Center for Performing Arts Medicine, the Center for Professional Excellence, human resources, marketing, foundation and volunteer services.
Emergency Department
Emergency room volunteers assist our nursing staff in greeting patients and families and offering comfort, including blankets upon request. Volunteers visit with patients and their families and familiarize them with other areas of the hospital if needed and serve coffee to waiting families.
Additional volunteer opportunities are available at our Pearland Hub and Kirby Emergency Care Center. *Please indicate your interest in these areas on Volunteer Profile.
Human Resources
Volunteers assist human resources with projects, new employee orientation packets and customer communications. Volunteers also assist the office staff by answering phones, copying, running errands and performing other jobs and special job-related duties as requested.
Book Cart
Volunteers make reading material available to hospital patients by taking the book carts to the patient floors. Volunteers maintain an orderly book room out of which they stock the service corps book cart with magazines and hardback and paperback books.
Caring Companions
Volunteers provide vital support in the hospital setting by companioning and interacting with patients who suffer from loneliness, boredom, anxiety and low spirits due to extended hospitalization.
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
In the ICU, volunteers assist family members of surgical patients and supervise visiting time in the waiting room. Following surgery, volunteers accompany the family to receive the doctor's report and to visit the patient, as well as maintain the unit's admitting and discharge records, emergency telephone numbers and other pertinent information.
Patient Services
Volunteers assist the nursing units by visiting and feeding patients, running errands for patients and nurses, and performing a variety of other tasks related to patient care.
Patient Liaison
Volunteers act as liaisons for patient issues and participate in the resolution of problems and communication of services to maximize patient and family satisfaction.
General Support
Volunteers assist with non-examination duties such as registration, clerical, runners, parking, directional ushers, etc.
Surgical Waiting Room
Volunteers assist family members of surgical patients and supervise visiting time in the waiting room. Following surgery, accompany the family to receive the doctor's report and to visit the patient, as well as maintain the unit's admitting and discharge records, emergency telephone numbers and other pertinent information.
Houston Methodist Transplant
For patients and caregivers who have successfully coped with the challenges of a solid organ transplant, they can volunteer and share their valuable information and experiences with others who are considering transplantation or who are newly transplanted.
Navigator
Volunteers create a welcoming environment for Houston Methodist patients and other customers by greeting visitors, giving directions and escorting or providing wheelchairs.
Doctors' Coffee Bar
Volunteers assist in serving food and drink to the medical staff in the Doctors' Coffee Bar.
Gift Shop
Volunteers serve the hospital and its guests in a courteous and helpful manner while performing a variety of duties to ensure normal business operations. Volunteers may assist with customers, operating the cash register, pricing and stocking items or gift wrapping.
Information Desk
Information volunteers answer telephones while using the computer to locate patients' rooms and phone numbers. Volunteers direct visitors to patient rooms and other locations and assist guests by answering a wide variety of questions.
Arts
Volunteers with artistic talents work with patients and interested family members to use the creative process of drawing and painting as a means of expression and an outlet for feelings arising from disease symptoms, treatment and recovery. Artist volunteers can create portraits of patients and family members, or assist patients in their own artistic expression.
Healing Tiles
Volunteers assemble Healing Tiles kits for patients and their families to design and create their own tile when they are in the hospital. The completed tiles may be given to friends and family members.
Journaling
Volunteers help patients and families create meaningful records to share with their loved ones. Through the use of the written word, stories and memories come to life.
Knitting
Volunteers knit Threads of Friendship—woven hopes that become prayer shawls for patients and pink scarves for breast cancer awareness month in October.
Music
Musicians of all ages perform in the Dunn Lobby or in individual patient rooms. Violinists, string instruments, guitarists and flutists are especially appreciated on the units.
Pet Visitation
Regular visits with therapy pets and their volunteer owners can provide stimulation for conversation in mental health counseling or encourage interest in physical therapy. Therapy dogs at Houston Methodist Hospital are certified through Faithful Paws.
Sewing
Volunteers make baby items, cancer bonnets, pony pillows, neck pillows, quilts and tracheotomy bibs.