Volunteer Support

Intermountain Healthcare volunteers help patients and their families with the challenges they face while receiving medical care. Volunteers help a variety of administrative and patient emotional support activities. Special programs include volunteering to help with hospice care, support for children, and patient advocacy. Learn more about volunteer support programs at Intermountain Healthcare.

The Intermountain Healthcare volunteer services department helps hire, track, and coordinate the volunteers who make a difference throughout the Intermountain system. Volunteers do many different things to help improve the lives of Intermountain’s patients and their families. Some popular volunteer opportunities include being a hospice volunteer, helping children as part of the Kid’s Crew, or serving on the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Hospice volunteers

Some volunteers help with Intermountain Healthcare’s hospice services, supporting patients who have only a few months left to live. These patients often need around-the-clock care, and volunteers can help provide compassionate care, give caretakers a break, and ensure that nobody dies alone. Hospice volunteers help with:

• Patient care. Volunteers offer companionship and support to hospice patients and their families.
• Respite care. Family members who are caregivers can be tired when they have to provide around-the-clock support for a loved one. Intermountain volunteers can help provide care while family members rest.
• Bereavement support. Volunteers can help patients and their families work through the death and grieving process.
• Comfort care. Volunteers can help give comfort-related therapy like music therapy, aromatherapy, and massage therapy.
• Office support. Volunteers help out in a variety of other ways, providing administrative services to Intermountain staff.

Volunteers can also help people who need palliative [PAL-ee-ey-tiv] care, even if they’re not in hospice.

Pediatric support

Other volunteers support children who are in the hospital and their families. These volunteers play age-appropriate games, help patients and their siblings with craft projects, clean toys, and do other work in inpatient and outpatient areas.

Patient and family advisory council

Intermountain Healthcare’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is a great way to get involved in helping patients have a better experience in Intermountain’s clinics and hospitals. PFAC councilmembers help address different topics like:

• Understanding patient preferences in healthcare
• Communicating patient needs to doctors and nurses
• Looking at and improving patient education materials
• Working through pain management issues
• Using technology in healthcare

You can apply to be a volunteer at any of Intermountain Healthcare’s branches, hospitals, and clinics. All current volunteer postings are listed on the Intermountain Healthcare website, volunteer.intermountainhealthcare.org, The requirements for volunteering can vary depending on what kind of work needs to be done.

How to serve on the PFAC

If you are interested in serving on the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), visit the PFAC webpage and fill out a form to tell Intermountain more about yourself and add information for a staff member to contact you.

• Intermountain Volunteer Opportunities
• Understanding Hospice Volunteering