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Earlier this week, the Wellstar Health System announced it is looking for volunteers.

As a volunteer for Wellstar, applicants have the opportunity to make a difference as an extended team member.

Director of Development and Volunteer Services Susan Ferguson said Wellstar currently has 21 active Auxilians and are always looking for more. 

“Pre-pandemic, the program had about 70 volunteers,” she said. “The program was suspended twice during the pandemic and each time we brought the group back, we lost a few.”

According to the Wellstar website, most volunteer opportunities are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday. However, there are limited openings for volunteers wishing to work evenings and weekends. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one four-hour shift each week for six months or 100 hours.

Volunteers play an integral part of the Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center community — providing valuable services to the medical center and its two nursing homes — Florence Hand Home and Twin Fountains Home. 

“Being a volunteer at the hospital is a great way to give back to the community,” Ferguson said. “They serve as front desk reception, greeters, transporters, lab runners, gift shop clerks, florists, bingo callers, manicurists, etc.”

Interested parties have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities that match specific skills and interests, from escorting patients to treatment areas, delivering flowers, providing complimentary coffee, proving comfort to patients in the emergency department, delivering and reading mail to nursing home residents and assisting customers in the gift shop.

Each auxilian that volunteers at least four hours a week gets a uniform, a complimentary meal, designated parking and attends quarterly breakfast meetings, according to Ferguson. 

Volunteer opportunities include the following:

• Call Room — Escort patients upon admission to treatment areas, deliver flowers and late trays, escort patients and belongings to dismissal area
• Coffee Cart — Provide complimentary coffee service to patients, visitors and team members.
• Emergency Department – Support the ED staff in providing comfort to patients and their families
• Enoch Callaway Cancer Center — Serve as a host for patients and family members.
• Florence Hand Home/Twin Fountains Home — Help with various activities provided for the residents. Duties may include delivering and reading mail, visiting with residents, staffing the beauty shop and working in the library.
• Information Desk — Provide information to visitors regarding patient rooms and directions.
• Intensive Care Waiting Room — Serve as a liaison between families and caregivers and provide information about patient’s condition and location.
• Physical Therapy — Assist staff with patient-related treatments in the Physical Therapy Department.

To apply to be a volunteer, interested parties must complete the application online via https://www.wellstar.org/community/volunteer/west-georgia-medical-center. All potential volunteers must have their physician complete and sign a medical release form, also found on the website. Applicants born after 1957 must include immunization records.

According to Ferguson, applicants must be at least 18 to volunteer. However, in general, most volunteers are of retirement age. For those under 18 still interested in volunteering, Wellstar has a six-week summer program called VolunTeen for 14 to 18-year-olds. Per the website, applicants can drop off application forms at the information desk in the South Tower Lobby, fax them to (706) 812-2878 or email them to Ferguson at susan.ferguson@wellstar.org. For more information on how to become a volunteer for Wellstar, call (706) 880-7332.