Volunteering at Dignity Health YRMC offers myriad benefits; it’s a win-win
Are you thinking about becoming a volunteer at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center? Good for you. And we mean, literally, “Good for you.” Yavapai Regional volunteers are reaping benefits on many different levels. Here are just a few:
Good for your social life. Countless Yavapai Regional volunteers tell us that what started as a volunteer shift has resulted in lasting friendships. It’s a great way to make friends and get involved with like-minded people. You’ll often see our volunteers having lunch together in the cafeteria before their shifts begin or getting together after hours to attend various community events. Some of our volunteers even travel together.
Good for your physical and mental health. Research by the Corporation for National and Community Service shows that people who volunteer have lower mortality rates, lower rates of depression, and fewer physical limitations than those who don’t volunteer. Additionally, a 2013 study of more that 1,600 older adults found that the participants who volunteered at least 200 hours per year were forty percent less likely to get high blood pressure than non-volunteers.
One Yavapai Regional Gift Shop volunteer describes the sense of purpose she experiences while volunteering:
“It makes me feel like I’m a part of a bigger thing and I like that,” she explains. “A woman came in this morning. It looked like she was feeling a little overwhelmed. I think she felt better after she spent some time with us. It just makes me feel like I’m doing something good. I believe in paying it forward.”
Good for our community. Volunteers provide vital support to the hospital and its services, which in turn serves our community. The diversity in types volunteer jobs available means there is something for just about everyone. Positions include:
- Visitor reception in lobby areas
- Visitor escorts
- Gift Shop
- Courtesy cart transportation
- Chaplain services
- Support opportunities in patient care settings
- Clerical opportunities in office settings
- Music therapy
- Pet therapy
Good for our patients. Volunteers often have additional time to attend to patients and visitors, offering an extra dose of empathy, compassion, and simple conversation. This can help ease any anxiety that patients and visitors might be feeling.
In addition, many volunteer positions are behind the scenes, supporting our staff in a variety of ways. This lightens the workload for staff, allowing them to have more quality time with patients. Staff throughout the hospital remark that their jobs are so much easier thanks to the volunteer workforce.
“Volunteering is the heart of this hospital,” said a front desk volunteer. “It’s a lot of fun. You’re going to enjoy every single minute of it. It’s good for the hospital and it’s good for you. That’s a win-win.”
For more information on the many volunteer opportunities available at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center, visit yrmc.org/volunteer-services/services, or call Volunteer Services in Prescott at 928.771.5678, or Prescott Valley at 928.442.8678.
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Submitted by Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center.