RUSH University Medical Center offers volunteers the opportunity to learn and grow while helping others. Our volunteers play a key role in supporting our commitment to the community and providing excellent patient care.
Join Our 750 Volunteers
More than 750 people from throughout Chicago and the suburbs volunteer at the Medical Center — and new volunteers are always welcome. Our volunteers include students, professionals, retirees and community residents who are interested in making a difference in our community.
All of our volunteers at the Medical Center start as Special Services volunteers. After completing six months of service with Special Services, you can apply for a department-specific volunteer opportunity.
The Special Services and department-specific volunteers help RUSH with the following:
- Special Services volunteers
- Greeters and escorts
- Clerical support
- Wheelchair transportation
- Delivering flowers, mail, specimens and crafts
- Patient relations including providing companionship, playing cards, working on crafts together or reading aloud
- Assisting staff with conferences, special events, marketing and communications
- Wayfinding
- Waiting lounge assistance or monitoring
- Patient care areas and the emergency department
- Conducting tours for schools, professional groups and the community
Qualifications
Volunteers at RUSH must meet the following qualifications:
- Be at least 17 years old
- Attend a hospital orientation for new volunteers
- Receive a tuberculosis test upon acceptance
- Provide immunization records for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and chicken pox
- Serve as a Special Services volunteer for the first six months of service
- Must be able to commit to four hours a week, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for a minimum of six months, served consecutively
Please note: Internships and externships are not available through Volunteer Services. Also, there are no summer-only opportunities available.
Application Process
The application process for a RUSH volunteer is easy. Follow the simple steps below, and contact Volunteer Services with any questions.
- Complete and submit our volunteer application.
- Once we receive your application, we will contact you by email to discuss the next steps. Please allow five to seven business days for our response.
Volunteer Services Contact
Phone: (312) 942-5574
Email: volunteer_services@rush.edu
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get started as a volunteer?
To volunteer, please complete our volunteer application. Allow five to seven business days for us to respond to you via email. After we receive and review your application, we will send you instructions about volunteer orientation and your health screening.
What happens at orientation?
You will meet the lead volunteer coordinator and complete some paperwork. Also, you will learn about the responsibilities as a volunteer, along with RUSH's mission, history, policies and procedures. After orientation, you will be asked to complete a two-step tuberculosis screening test and mandatory quizzes about safety and policies at RUSH.
Where do volunteers work?
Our volunteers work in the Volunteer Services office, but you can serve anywhere in the Medical Center and perform a variety of nonclinical duties.
Is there a minimum age for volunteering?
We accept volunteers who are 17 and older. Internships and externships are not available through Volunteer Services.
Is there a time commitment?
We require all volunteers to commit to four hours of service once a week for a minimum of six months. Volunteers need to work 100 hours of service in order to request reference and recommendation letters from a staff member at Rush. We do not have weekend or evening opportunities.
How does RUSH recognize the contributions of volunteers?
Our patients, their families and our staff appreciate our volunteers every day. In addition to ongoing informal recognition, all our volunteers are invited to an annual volunteer recognition dinner where we present a number of awards for outstanding service.