Choose a Volunteer Position That Is Right for You

Whether you have a specific area of interest or you just want to lend a hand wherever it is needed, we encourage you to join our volunteer team. Volunteers are welcome at any of our San Antonio locations.

Below are some of the volunteer opportunities available. Most opportunities are available Monday through Friday, year-round. We request our adult volunteers to dedicate four hours per day, once a week, and about 100 hours annually. Apply to become a volunteer.

Patient Floor Volunteer

Patient floors include general medicine, physical therapy, newborn nursery, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and more. Volunteers may provide clerical assistance, help patients and families with various needs or perform more physical tasks such as stocking supplies. Some departments may require additional training.

Locations: University Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable talking with patients/visitors, be self-motivated, engaged and friendly.

Child Life Volunteer

Our Child Life volunteers receive special training for their work with children. These volunteers may assist in the playroom, visit with patients or conduct clerical tasks as requested by nursing staff and Child Life specialists. Additional, department-specific training is required.

Locations: University Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable talking with patients/visitor, be self-motivated, engaged, and friendly.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Volunteer

These volunteers assist nursing staff with caring for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and newborn nursery units. These special volunteers provide extra love and comfort to our smallest patients. Additional, department-specific training is required.

Location: Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable around babies, talking with patients/visitors, be self-motivated engaged and friendly.

Volunteer Ambassadors

A volunteer ambassador is the first person many of our patients and visitors see. These volunteers possess exceptional customer service skills as they answer questions and offer assistance with way finding at the information desk.

Locations: University Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Southeast Clinic, Southwest Clinic

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable talking with patients/visitors, be self-motivated, engaged, friendly and have exceptional customer service skills.

Foster Grandparent Volunteer

The Foster Grandparent program is in partnership with Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of San Antonio. Foster grandparent volunteers, who are 55 years of age or older, assist nursing staff with caring for babies in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) and newborn nursery units. These special volunteers provide extra love and comfort to our smallest patients. Additional department-specific training is required.

Location: Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable around babies, talking with patients/visitor, be self-motivated, engaged, and friendly.

Pages of Wonder Program

Being in the hospital is a trying time for anyone. Separation from loved ones and the familiar support system can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Without support, patients may have a slower recovery from their illness and increased feelings of anxiety and depression. But it doesn't have to be this way. With your help, patients can feel connected to others, be distracted from pain and experience reduced fear, stress and anxiety.

The Pages of Wonder Program is a heartwarming initiative where you can bring joy and comfort to patients through various activities such as reading books, playing games and engaging in other interactive experiences. Your participation and dedication to this initiative will create moments of respite and happiness for patients.

Locations: University Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: Volunteers should be comfortable with talking with patients and visitors, be self-motivated, engaged and friendly.

Wellness Warrior Program

Health care workers face challenges every day, including increased workloads and emotional stress. Because of this, University Health has created Recharge Rooms. Staff can visit these rooms to recharge and renew mentally and physically with aromatherapy, journaling, art and music. You can help to support this initiative by becoming a Wellness Warrior. These volunteers are responsible for keeping the Recharge Rooms clean, organized and stocked with supplies. With your help, we can care for those who care for our community. Additional training is provided.

Locations: University Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Qualifications: This position requires reaching, bending, standing and walking for prolonged periods of time. Volunteers must be responsible, self-motivated and work well with little supervision.

Administrative Volunteer

Volunteers assist administrative departments with paperwork, filing, organization, errands, and other clerical duties. Departments may include non-clinical sites such as administration, finance, and medical records.

Locations: Various University Health facilities

Qualifications: Volunteers should have strong organizational and communication skills, be friendly, engaged and a fast learner.

Spiritual Care Volunteer

Spiritual Care volunteers offer a compassionate presence and lend a listening ear to individuals in need by providing word of comfort, prayers, or spiritual readings to provide solace and peace during difficult times. They offer words of comfort, prayers or spiritual readings to provide solace and peace during difficult times. Volunteers should be a priest or Eucharistic minister (certified). Volunteers should be a Priest or Eucharistic Minister (certified).

Qualifications: Volunteers should be compassionate, comfortable talking with patients/visitors, engaged and friendly.

Pet Therapy Volunteer

Our pet therapy volunteers bring comfort to patients through animal love. These volunteers receive special training to bring their dog or cat to a University Health facility and interact with patients and their families. Pets must be registered with Pet Partners, Therapy Animals of San Antonio or PAWS for Service.

Locations: Various University Health facilities

Qualifications: Volunteers should be confident in enforcing the University Health Pet Therapy policy, comfortable talking with patients/visitors, be self-motivated, engaged and friendly.

Pet Therapy Ambassador

The pet therapy ambassador works alongside our pet teams (the handler and their furry friend) to ensure patient visits are guided properly and to promote a safe and positive experience. No previous experience with therapy animals is required. 

Locations: Various University Health facilities

Qualifications: Volunteers should be confident in enforcing the University Health Pet Therapy policy, comfortable talking with patients/visitor, engaged and friendly.

Patient Family Advisory Council

Our Patient Family Advisory Councils (PFAC) in partnership with UT Health San Antonio, were created to improve the quality of our health system’s care for all patients and families. These councils provide patients and their families an opportunity to share their experiences with hospital administration, other patients and their families to improve the delivery of care.

PFAC members are volunteers who graciously dedicate their time. PFAC members commit to:

• Meet monthly with our leadership, physicians and other patients and families
• Work as a team and share experiences
• Provide honest feedback
• Respect the perspectives of others
• Educate leadership and staff
• Help enhance the patient and family experience

We have PFACs available for several types of care:

• Women’s Health Services & Pediatrics
• Senior Services
• Inpatient
• Ambulatory

To volunteer, visit our PFAC webpage or contact us via email at PFAC@uhtx.com.