Adult Volunteer Program

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Stanford Health Care! Volunteers provide non-clinical assistance to patients, families, and staff. They also provide information and resources throughout the adult hospital and clinics. Individuals must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. Students who are 16-17 years old and in high school are eligible for the High School Program.

Time commitment

We require a continuous six month commitment comprised of 1 shift per week (3-4 hour period), which equates to 100 hours within this period. Some volunteer placements require a 1-year commitment due to the training involved. Individual volunteers are scheduled for shifts (on the same day and time) on a weekly basis; placements are assigned for the 6-month period. Please consider your schedule, school, work, and family before making the weekly commitment to volunteer.

In coordination with your availability, we try to accommodate your interests and talents, while keeping in mind the needs of our health care system. We do not place volunteers for internship, shadowing or observing positions. Volunteer hours do not qualify as "clinical hours".

Types of volunteering opportunities

Most volunteer opportunities include assisting patients and families around the hospital and clinics, providing information and resources, running errands, collecting wheelchairs, delivering goods to patient rooms, and more.

Any given volunteering opportunity includes elements of one or more of the following types of volunteering activities:

  • Escort and orient patients through the facility, manage flow of patient traffic, provide patients and families with concierge type information, arrange for public transportation as necessary, and deliver amenities
  • Greet patients and family members, provide wayfinding, act as a liaison between clinical staff and family members, keep lobby area neat, restock supplies, deliver amenities (listed above), bring patients to dressing area
  • Assist in the instruction of chair exercise and mobility classes for seniors, connect with older adults by making weekly phone calls, collect data, provide program recommendations to older adults, assist with classes for oncology and neuroscience patients
  • Support data entry records and light filing, interview inpatients on their experience using a set list of questions and record the answers into a database, support back office work important to patient care

Volunteering with children

Please contact the Volunteer Services department at Stanford Children's Hospital.

Volunteering in the East Bay

If you are interested in volunteering at Emeryville, please submit an application below. If you are interested in volunteering at our Stanford ValleyCare Livermore or Pleasanton locations, please contact the Volunteer Services department at Stanford ValleyCare.

How do I become a volunteer?

  1. Group Interview: We schedule group interviews with our Volunteer Resources staff to explain our program, requirements, expectations, and roles within a 1 hour session. Individuals also provide information about themselves including motivation, interests, and availability. These interviews are located at Stanford Hospital campus in Palo Alto.
  2. Online Curriculum: After attending the group interview, individuals are emailed a link, user ID, and password to access the curriculum for completion. This step can take up to 6 hours.
  3. Background Check: Individuals over the age of 18 must complete an online authorization for criminal background check. The information will be provided after the group interview.
  4. Health Screening (TB test / vaccines): All perspective volunteers will need to bring their immunization record at one of our Occupational Health Services locations (Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Jose), titers may be drawn and/or additional vaccination may be needed.
  5. Volunteer Orientation: After the 3 requirements (above) are completed, individuals attend a 2-hour orientation to review policies, C-I-CARE and additional program information.
  6. ID Badge / Parking / Uniform / Logging Hours: At orientation, information about picking up a badge, access to parking, uniform, and logging volunteer hours are discussed. Applicants will be given instructions on how to get their photos taken at Security in the Main Hospital Palo Alto location.

We are currently at capacity and are not accepting new applications at this time. Please check back on October 15th to submit an application online. 

Volunteer locations

Volunteers are placed based on availability opportunities across many different departments. Locations of volunteering opportunities include:

  • Stanford Hospital – 300 Pasteur Drive, Palo Alto
  • Stanford Cancer Center Palo Alto – 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Palo Alto
  • Stanford Women's Cancer Center – 900 Blake Wilbur Drive, Palo Alto
  • Stanford Medicine Imaging Center – 451 Sherman Avenue, Palo Alto
  • Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center – 450 Broadway Street, Redwood City
  • Stanford Cancer Center South Bay – 2589 Samaritan Drive, San Jose
  • Stanford Health Care, Emeryville – 5800 Hollis Street, Emeryville

 

Submit Application