Please see some of our volunteer opportunities below. To become a volunteer, just fill out the application form (above left). You can also send us an email. Thank you!

Current as of July 14, 2011.

Department: Orthopeadics
Title: Volunteer - Medical students - help rooming patients, tracking patients that go to Radiology etc.
Schedule/hours: 16 hrs
Assignment description: Rooming patients, tracking patients that go to Radiology, help patient flow
Duration: Six weeks

Department: Medicine
Title: Promoting a culture of safety; empowering staff to improve hand hygiene facilitator
Schedule/hours: flexible
Assignment description: After education, volunteers will distribute "life-saver" tickets to staff who practice hand hygiene before and after contact with patients or their en
Duration: flexible
Aim: To prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections by promoting a comprehensive Hand Hygiene Program throughout CHA. To foster a culture of good hand hygiene practice, in which all members of the health care team help each other by giving and accepting gentle reminders to comply with hand hygiene before and after contact with a patient or their environment.
First phase: Distribute positive reinforcement (i.e., life-saver tickets and a individually wrapped life saver) to compliant staff.
Second phase: Distribute positive reinforcement (i.e., life-saver tickets and a individually wrapped life saver) or a "reminder" ticket along with education about the need for hand hygiene after a specific task to non-compliant staff.
Staff will be alerted to this initiate and volunteers will wear a "Life-Saver" shirt to identify them as a Hand Hygiene Facilitator.

Department: Department of Psychiatry
Title: Data Entry/Research Support
Schedule/hours: 3-5 hrs/wk
Assignment description: Enter remaining data from research study on children
Duration: Short term
Address/location where volunteer should report: 120 Beacon Street - 4th Floor
The focus of CHI is children's health services research; including identification of key contributors to the improvement of clinical quality and cost effectiveness for children with serious emotional disturbance and their families. Current activities, guided by the CHI Advisory Group, include dissemination of findings from analysis of longitudinal data on clinical functioning, service utilization, cost, and care experience drawn from the Mental Health Services Program for Youth (MHSPY), for which Dr. Grimes served as Principal Investigator. Initially sponsored as a two year pilot by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the MHSPY program operated for twelve years as a nationally and internationally recognized model for integrated systems of care, demonstrating innovations in: 1) clinical delivery of children's health services, 2) child mental health policy and governance structures, and 3) health care financing. Other CHI activities include research collaborations with the Center for Health Care Strategies, the Harvard Dept. of Health Care Policy, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Tufts Medical School. Volunteer services will review your request and contact you as soon as possible.

Department: Department of Psychiatry
Title: Refreshment Coordinator
Schedule/hours: Minimum 9-10 and around 3-4 Tuesdays and Thursdays, with potential to increase this time; also potential time on Wednesdays and Sundays
Assignment description: Set up and clean up coffee and refreshments for our patients
Duration: indefinite
Address/location where volunteer should report: 26 Central Street in Somerville. We have set up a new waiting area for our patients with mental illnesses. As part of creating a welcoming environment, we are providing coffee and snacks. We very much need help setting up food, welcoming patients, and cleaning up at the end of our clinic's session. We also could use a volunteer to pick up bread donations on Wednesdays and/or Sundays. Volunteer services will review your request and contact you as soon as possible.

Department: Medical-Surgical, Cambridge Hospital
Title: Transforming Care at the Bedside Team
Process of updating the whiteboard at the bedside of each patient to improve communication with our patients and families. This project entails sticking letters to the whiteboards to establish a standard template for each board.
Duration: 1-2 weeks

Department: SHINE Committee, Somerville Hospital
The new Assisted Living in Somerville has a resource room that they plan to use for education for the seniors in the building. CHA could use the space, and ideally would have a health educator there and stock books and other resource. Realistically it would be great to have a volunteer keep the room updated and tidy, maybe stopping by twice a week or more for an hour to keep the resources in order and assist as needed. Highly literate health wise would be ideal, and comfortable with online resources.

Department:Somerville Primary Care, Somerville
Title: Clinic Patient Greeter and DPH grant enroller
Schedule/hours: as many as possible M-F
Assignment description: To assist patients in navigating clinic, monitor registration area and assist with flow of patients. Also assist in the enrollment of patients into system. Would be helpful if patient spoke Portuguese, training will be provided on site.
Duration: ongoing

Department: Elder Service Plan, Cambridge
Title: Transcriber/Author
Schedule/hours: 1:00pm and 6:00pm - any day of the week
Assignment description: transcribe a story that our patient is telling. Our patient is elderly and is losing her vision and could benefit from having a volunteer transcribe a story that she would like to tell.

Department: Psychiatry
Title: Research Assistant
Schedule/hours: Able to commit at least 3 hours per week during normal business hours
Assignment description: Primarily responsible for data entry
Duration: At least 1 academic year
Additional information: Seeking student volunteers to assist with an NIMH research study taking place at the Program for Psychotherapy. The project is located at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Rebecca Drill, Ph.D., principal investigator at CHA, in conjunction with Drew Westen, Ph.D., at Emory University, principal investigator of all project sites, is investigating new methods of diagnosing personality disorders.
The student volunteer will be primarily responsible for data entry and will also participate in monthly meetings discussing the research as well as articles pertaining to research in general and personality disorders. Eligible students must be detail-oriented and able to commit at least 3 hours/week to the study. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in clinical psychology research.
If interested, please contact Rachel Leipow, Research Coordinator, via email at rleipow@challiance.org. Please include your name, major, year in school, and any previous statistics coursework or research experience.

Department: Institute for Community Health, Cambridge
Volunteer assignment: Admin/Clerical Support
Schedule/hours: 10 to 20 hours per week
Assignment description: Basic Office Work - Filing, Organization, etc.

Department: Department of Surgery, Whidden Hospital, Everett
Volunteer assignment: Hospital Companion
Schedule/hours: Office Hours are Monday - Friday 8:30am- 5:00pm (anytime during these hours)
Assignment description: Greet patients, assist patients with paper work, room patients prepare charts for office sessions, obtain reports, file correspondences. escort patients. We can use someone as many days as they can give us. Can expand role to include other duties as necessary
Duration: ongoing

Department: Perioperative Services, Whidden Hospital, Everett
Title: Clerical Support / Document Scanner
Schedule/hours: 10-15 hours per week (flexible)
Assignment description: Scanning of paperwork into the computerized medical records. Volunteer would be trained by administrative staff on all aspects of scanning PHI into the computerized medical records system. Volunteer would have to have an understanding of the confidentiality of PHI and have basic computer skills.
Duration: ongoing / permanent

Department: Cytology, Cambridge Hospital campus
Title: Cytology/ History Work
Schedule/hours: Any time between 8:30am - 4:00pm
Assignment description: Matching proof with cytology requisition, filing slides and paper work. Can expand role depending on individual.
Duration: 2-4 hours per day at least 3-4 days a week.

Department: Inpatient Laboratory, Somerville Hospital campus
Title: Clerical Support
Schedule/hours: Daytime - hours flexible (anytime from 8:00am - 4:00pm)
Assignment description: Organizing, collating documents and setting up binders for next year
Duration: One to two months

Department: Blood Bank - Lab, Cambridge Hospital Conference room A/B
Title: Reception and canteen
Schedule/hours: opportunities available throughout the year.
Assignment description: Sign in donors and ensure adequate food and drink available at the canteen.
Duration: varies

Department: Institute for Community Health, Cambridge
Title: Research assistant to develop EndNotes Libraries
The Institute for Community Health is a unique collaboration of three Massachusetts health care systems whose mission is to improve the health of Cambridge; Somerville, and surrounding cities and towns. The goal of ICH is to stimulate the creation of innovative programs and health policies through a community-based approach that will promote long term healthy lifestyles.
One of our projects involves evaluating a parenting support program. We have amassed a large number of articles concerning parenting programs and research concerning nurturing family environments, etc. This project would entail entering these articles into EndNote software. No previous experience with EndNote is necessary.

Department: Institute for Community Health, Cambridge
Title: Research Assistant
Schedule/hours: flexible
Assignment description: Interview Transcription
Duration: 20 hours
Additional information: The Institute for Community Health is a unique collaboration of three Massachusetts health care systems whose mission is to improve the health of Cambridge; Somerville, and surrounding cities and towns. The goal of ICH is to stimulate the creation of innovative programs and health policies through a community-based approach that will promote long term healthy lifestyles.

One of our projects involves evaluating a trauma intervention for homeless youth. We have 6 interviews with intervention participants that are each around 30 minutes long that need to be transcribed. The volunteer would need to take Human Subjects research training online (this can be done once the volunteer is at ICH) in order to obtain a certificate and be added to our IRB protocol. The volunteer would also learn to use express scribe for transcription.

Department: Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge
Title: Rolling Librarian
Schedule/hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Assignment description: Visit patients room and offer reading materials, puzzles and activity ideas.
Duration: As long as willing.
Additional information: Must be able to work independently, able to build relationships with unit leaders, great communication - being multilingual is a plus but not required.

Department: Whidden Admitting, Everett
Title: Clerical Support
Schedule/hours: Two to Three hours, three times a week.
Assignment description: Creating inpatient packets
Duration: as long as possible

Department: Somerville Hospital, Medical Arts Building
Title: Hospital Greeter
Schedule/Hours: Monday thru Friday 8: 00am - 5:00pm.
Assignment description: Greeting patients as they come into the hospital. Directing visitors to appropriate appointment locations. Walking is required, must feel comfortable escorting patients to location if interest. Volunteer should be cheerful and prepared to greet all our patients. Occasional light clerical work.
Duration: As long as possible

Department: Windsor Clinic, Cambridge
Title: Greeter
Schedule/hours: Preferable 8:30am - 5:00pm, but will take anything
Assignment description: Direct points from Windsor clinic to the registration desk, lab, dental clinic, mental health clinic, etc
Duration: 3 months
Additional information: Volunteer should be bilingual in English & Haitian Creole.

Department: Elder Service Plan, Cambridge/Somerville
Title: Medical Escort
Schedule/hours: 8.00am - 4.00pm
Assignment description: Escorting frail elders to their medical appointments within the CHA system, Clinics and hospitals.
Duration: As long as willing.
Additional information: Must be able to speak English and additional languages are helpful, including Portuguese, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Should be able to transport self to appointment location or come to the center and be transported from here. Needs to have experience working with elders with disabilities, memory problems and anxiety.

Department: Elder Service Plan, Cambridge
Title: Bell Attendant
Schedule/hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Assignment description: Assisting frail elders and their visitors on and off ESP's key access supportive housing floor.
Duration: As long as willing.
Additional information: Must be able to push wheelchairs and assist frail, disabled elders within their home. Must be able to stand for lengths of time and be comfortable operating elevators. Will be working in a busy environment and be able to respond quickly to bell.

Department: Whidden Hospital Admitting
Title: Clerical Support
Schedule/hours: One to two hours a week
Assignment description: Creating inpatient packets, sorting, copying and collating.
Duration: As long as possible

Department: Institute for Community Health
Title: Research assistant to develop EndNotes Libraries
Schedule/hours: Flexible. Estimate this may take about 50-60 hours all together.
Assignment description: Enter existing hardcopy articles reference information into an online reference library (software package called EndNotes)
Duration: Depends on number of hours the volunteer is able to work per week.

Department: Institute for Community Health
Title: Data Entry
Volunteer assignment: To assist in entering data from about 1,000 activity logs.
Schedule/hours: Mon - Fri; 9:00am - 5:00pm; when available
Duration: Until project is complete

Department: Radiology
Title: Hospital Greeter
Schedule/hours: Mornings/afternoons
Assignment description: Greet Patients, Escort Patients to appointments locate wheelchairs and answer telephones. Volunteer needs to be friendly, able to communicate and take patients to their appointments. Locate wheelchairs and answer telephones as needed. Professional dress required.

Department: Volunteer Services
Title: Community Outreach Liaison
Schedule/Hours: Flexible Monday - Friday, Mornings preferred
Assignment description: Create and maintain community mailing list, outreach to organizations that can use our assistance, research organizations in the community and find events for the group to attend within the community in which we thrive. Must be professional, comfortable with writing and creating announcements. Able to work independently, writing sample required!

Department: Volunteer Services, Somerville Hospital
Title: Envelope Stuffer
Schedule/hours: Flexible
Assignment description: Assistance needed with a small project. Volunteer Services needs to put together a rather large mailing. Collating, stuffing and addressing envelopes.
Duration: 1 week
Qualifications: Volunteer must be computer savvy and have great penmanship. Team worker required.

Department: Whidden Hospital, Everett
Title: Information Desk attendant
Schedule/hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Assignment description: Sitting at information desk and directing patients to floors and departments. Put packets of information together for outpatient units.
Duration: As long as willing.
Additional information: Must be reliable and helpful.

Department: Med Surg 6, Float Pool, IV Therapy
Title: Clerical Support
Schedule/hours: During Days to 7:00pm
Assignment description: Answering Phones, Assist in stocking forms, Putting Admission Packets together, Photocopying.
Duration: Negotiable
Additional information: Seeking for a self motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills who is willing to be flexible with duties. Assist in departmental request Excellent communication skills a must.

Department: Human Resources, Medford - Station Landing
Title: Human Resources Greeter
Schedule/hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm, flexibility available
Assignment description: Assist in directing visitors and phone inquiries to the appropriate departments.
Duration: Open
Qualifications: Ideal volunteer should be interested in the human resources field, a current student willing to direct phone calls and visitors to appropriate departments. Must be computer savvy, punctual and able to work independently on projects as requested.

Department: Occupational Health
Title: Administrative Assistant
Assignment description: Assisting with data entry and general administrative duties.
Duration: Open
Qualifications: Administrative assistants must have excellent typing, spelling and grammar skills, requiring expert knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs. Strong interpersonal and organizational skills are essential, as are good phone skills and familiarity with office equipment.

Department: Cambridge Hospital
Title: Baby Cuddler
Schedule/hours: Open
Assignment description: Volunteers hold, rock, feed, and change babies under the close supervision of the nursing staff.
Duration: Open
Qualifications: love to cradle and rock newborns, as well as give hugs to kids, then you can offer your love to babies and small children in desperate need of cuddling and hugs.

Department: Dental
Title: Dental Assistant
Schedule/hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm/ any hours the volunteer is available.
Assignment description: Assist the dentist with seating patients, setting, setting up rooms, cleaning instruments whatever else is need
Duration: 3 months
Address/location where volunteer should report: 119 Windsor St, Second Floor Dental Department.
Qualifications: We would like to have an individual at least sis hours per week for three months minimum, so they con get used to the flow of the department, the staff, and the facility. A certified dental assistant would be best, but new grads that are looking to gain experience would also be good.

Department: Zinberg Cinic/ Psychiatry
Title: Food Pantry Associate
Schedule/hours: Tuesdays 10:45am -11:45am
Assignment description: Assist staff in bring up food pantry items and storing them in when delivered.
Duration: year round
Qualifications: N/A

Department: Highland Building, Somerville Hospital
Title: Highland Building Greeter
Schedule/hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Assignment description: Greet patients in the new building and help patients find their appointment location
Duration: Open
Qualifications: Greeters should be cheerful, friendly, approachable, comfortable talking to new people and willing to answer questions

Department: Somerville Hospital, Information Desk
Title: Information Desk Navigator
Schedule/hours: open
Assignment Description: Sitting at information desk and directing patients to floors and departments. Put packets of information together for outpatient units Pick up specimen 4 times a day.
Duration: open

Department: Ophthalmology Department, Somerville Hospital
Title: Support to staff
Schedule/hours: 3-4 hours per day
Assignment Description: Pull medical records and file documents.
Duration: open
Qualifications: Must be comfortable with filing and standing up for long periods of time. Detail oriented and focused performing administrative duties.

Department: Somerville Hospital Emergency Room
Title: Administrative Assistant
Schedule/hours: open
Assignment Description: Administrative duties.
Duration: open
Qualifications: Organized, well mannered, patient individual. Open to assisting with different duties around the department.