Volunteer at UW Health: Make a difference in the lives of our patients and visitors

Volunteers at UW Health are valued members of our health care team offering assistance each day to our patients, families and staff at various locations throughout our organization.

Overview

About volunteering at UW Health

How do I become a volunteer?

UW Health offers volunteer opportunities at its facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Please refer to the information below for the state you wish to volunteer in.

In Wisconsin

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for UW Health. At this time, we can onboard a limited number of volunteers each month.

The volunteer onboarding process can take about 2 months. Once onboarded, we require a minimum 6-month consecutive volunteer commitment or one full semester. Volunteers must be out of high school and at least 18 years of age to apply.

If you are interested in volunteering and can commit to a minimum six-month commitment or one full semester, please fill out an online application to start the onboarding process.

We appreciate your interest in volunteering and look forward to connecting with you!

To apply for positions in Wisconsin

For facilities in Wisconsin, use our online application to get started.

In Illinois

To apply to become a volunteer for UW Health locations in Illinois, please complete the following forms:

For facilities in Illinois, please contact (779) 696-4310.

Questions about volunteering?

Please reach out to the Volunteer Services team if you have any questions about volunteering.

Opportunities

Opportunities

In Wisconsin

We have volunteer opportunities throughout UW Health, including East Madison Hospital, University Hospital, American Family Children’s Hospital and clinics throughout the Dane County area.

In Illinois

In Illinois facilities, volunteer opportunities can be found in:

  • Gift shop

  • Mail and flower delivery

  • Patient care assistants

  • Patient dismissal

  • Wayfinding

Additional opportunities

Patient and Family Advisor Program

Patient and Family Advisors are volunteers who have received care or who have had a family member who received care from UW Health in the last two years. Through participation in a council or a project, they play a meaningful role in helping to shape the patient experience.

Learn more

Organ and Tissue Donation

Volunteers help share the message about the importance of registering as an organ and tissue donor to increase the number of registered donors.

Learn more

Current or returning volunteers

What you need to know

Thank you for volunteering with UW Health. We appreciate the time and commitment that you provide to our patients, visitors and staff. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Annual health assessments and trainings

Current volunteers are subject to regulatory requirements for annual health assessments and trainings each fall. These requirements must be completed and documented with the Volunteers Services department to continue volunteering with UW Health.

In Illinois

For questions, please contact (779) 696-4310.

To schedule TB or flu shot, please contact Associate Health Services at (779) 696-4112.

In Wisconsin

If you are not sure if your annual requirements are up-to-date, please contact the Volunteer Services office at (608) 263-6046 or volunteer.services@uwhealth.org.

If you have questions regarding your health assessments, please contact Employee Health Services at (608) 263-7535.

The following information about requirements is for volunteers at Wisconsin facilities:

All volunteers need to follow regulatory requirements including annual trainings.

In Wisconsin, volunteers can login to the Volunteer Services database to complete the training and to answer the knowledge check questions.

If you need assistance with the online trainings, please contact the Volunteer Services department.

In lieu of an annual TB skin test each volunteer will need to submit the TB Questionnaire.

If you have ever had a positive TB skin test in the past, you should fill out and submit the History of a Positive TB Skin Test form, instead of the above Questionnaire.

Please full complete the appropriate form and submit it to Employee Health Services at HREmployeehealth@uwhealth.org, with the subject as: Volunteer Paperwork

  • UW Health provides free flu shots each fall for current volunteers.

  • All UW Health employees, faculty, students and volunteers are required to receive an influenza vaccination

  • Only those with a completed medical waiver for a medical contraindication will be exempt from receiving the vaccine

  • If you have previously completed a UW Health Religious or Personal Conviction/Belief Waiver, you must either receive the influenza vaccine or re-complete this waiver in order to be compliant

  • Please note that due to your volunteer health and personal health records being separate, Employee Health Services is unable to access your personal health records to see if you received the TB test and/or influenza vaccine outside of EHS. If you received your flu shot or TB test at a location other than EHS (UHS, your primary care clinic - even if it's a UW Health facility, Walgreens, CVS, etc.), you must submit documentation of proof to HREmployeeHealth@uwhealth.org, using the subject line, "Volunteer Paperwork." Or, you can submit records via fax to (608) 262-7284.

  • If you have questions regarding flu shots or TB tests please contact Employee Health Services at (608) 263-7535.