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 in which you wish to volunteer.
In Wisconsin
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for UW Health. At this time, we are not accepting applications for new volunteers. We will reopen the application on November 25.
The volunteer onboarding process can take about two months to complete. Once onboarded, we require a minimum six-month consecutive volunteer commitment (non-students) or one full semester (students).
Interested volunteers must be out of high school and at least 18 years of age to apply.
We appreciate your interest in volunteering and look forward to connecting with you!
To apply for positions in Wisconsin
College students
College students who can commit to at least one full semester are eligible to apply. Students are placed on semester-based shifts. To accommodate placing volunteers for full semesters, please be sure to apply with the following timelines in mind:
Fall semester application open between April 8 and June 17
Volunteer applicant must fully complete onboarding by August 30 to be placed for a fall semester volunteer role.
Spring semester application will be available between November 25 and December 16
Volunteer applicant must fully complete onboarding by January 15, 2025, to be placed for a spring semester volunteer role.
Summer application open in March, specific dates to be determined.
There are select opportunities open only to students studying pharmacy or occupational/physical therapy. If you are studying pharmacy or occupational/physical therapy and would like to volunteer in your area of study, please click on the application that matches your area of study.
Application availability dates are subject to change depending on the number of applications received.
If a volunteer applicant does not complete onboarding by the required completion date for a semester, they will be eligible to be placed in subsequent semesters once they have completed onboarding in full.
Teens
At this time we are not accepting applications for new teen volunteers. We will re-open the application on November 25.
Spring semester application will be available between November 25 and December 16.
Volunteer applicant must fully complete onboarding by January 15, 2025, to be placed for a spring semester volunteer role.
Summer application will be available in March, specific dates to be determined
Non-students
At this time, we are not accepting applications for new volunteers. We will reopen the application on November 25.
If you are interested in volunteering with Organ and Tissue Donation or were asked by UW Health staff to be a Peer Mentor, please email volunteer.services@uwhealth.org to request more information on how to apply.
How to apply
You must reside in the United States to complete the onboarding requirements.
Required health clearance needed for volunteers include: Seasonal influenza vaccine, MMR, Varicella, Tdap and a TB blood test. We are unable to accept waivers or exemptions. More details of these requirements and clearance process will be outlined during onboarding. Please only apply if you are able to receive these vaccines or are able to show written documentation.
There are select opportunities open only to students studying pharmacy or occupational/physical therapy. If you are studying pharmacy or occupational/physical therapy and would like to volunteer in your area of study, please click on the application that matches your area of study.
Occupational/physical therapy
To apply, fill out our online application. Please select from the following:
If you have applied for a volunteer role in the past, you do not need to reapply. Email volunteer.services@uwhealth.org to resume the onboarding process or for information on how to reactivate your volunteer status.
Periodically we will remove the application if we are not accepting applications. If the application is not available here, please continue to monitor the website for future updates.
In Illinois
To apply to become a volunteer for UW Health locations in Illinois, please use our online form to begin your application process.
Apply to be a volunteer in Illinois
Questions about volunteering?
Please reach out to the Volunteer Services team if you have any questions about volunteering.
In Wisconsin, email volunteer.services@uwhealth.org
In Illinois, call (779) 696-4310
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.
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.
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.
