Weill Cornell Medical Center
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, a 862-bed hospital located in East Midtown, Manhattan, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have been responsible for many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer; the synthesis of penicillin; the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S.; the first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease; the first indication of bone marrow’s critical role in tumor growth; and, most recently, the world’s first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is the first U.S. medical college to offer a medical degree overseas and maintains a strong global presence in Austria, Brazil, Haiti, Tanzania, Turkey and Qatar.
Volunteer Opportunities
The NYP Guide Program
The NYP Guide Program is a program designed to assist patients and visitors with navigating the hospital. Volunteers can reduce the stress a patient or visitor faces by providing a positive interaction. Volunteers help by offering directions either verbally or assisting patients and visitors to their destination. Training provided. Position does require that volunteer be able to stand for a period of time greeting and escorting patients and guests.
Must be 16 years of age or older
Available daily 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Clerical Volunteers
Provide clerical support to hospital staff in various departments. Volunteers play an important role in assisting in the efficient function of our hospital departments. Tasks include filing, faxing, answering phones, data entry and typing. Knowledge of the computer is helpful but not required. Opportunities are available in different settings such as the main hospital, clinical and our medical practices.
Must be 16 years of age or older
Available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Patient Care Units
Patient Services Administration (PSA) Volunteer Program
Volunteers assist the PSA Representative to enhance the quality of care for patients. This partnership helps with providing high quality, safe, consistent and compassionate care. Instills confidence by creating connections and meeting our patents’ individual needs.
Responsibilities include using innovative technology to survey patients at bedside to obtain feedback in real time. Ideal candidates should be compassionate, empathic, and tech savvy.
Program available in the following settings:
- General Medicine
- Surgical Units
- Oncology
Cardiac Care Units
Volunteers work directly with patients of all ages affected by various cardiac conditions. The main component of the program is to provide emotional support and basic assistance with activities of daily living.
Tasks include: friendly visits with patients, ambulation and mealtime assistance, general and recreational assistance, interacting and engaging with patient visitors, assisting clinical staff in general duties on units.
Must be 16 years of age or older
Available daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Geriatric Unit
Volunteers assist elderly patients on the Acute Care for Elders unit. Volunteers are valued members of the geriatric care team. In this distinctive role, volunteers are trained to assist the care team in achieving the goals of care for patients and offer a sense of continuity to patients and families. The volunteers provide companionship, therapeutic activities and conversation to socially and mentally stimulate appropriate patients. Able to assist with patient mobilization and with meal assistance by providing encouragement and helping with tray set-up.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
General Medical/Surgical Units
Volunteers on these units assist adult patient populations. Patients are receiving pre- and post-operative care or are being treated for a variety of ongoing medical conditions. Volunteers provide emotional support and basic assistance with activities of daily living.
Tasks include: friendly visits with patients, ambulation and mealtime assistance, general and recreational assistance, interacting and engaging with patient visitors, assisting clinical staff in general duties on units.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Renal Disease and Transplant
Volunteers round on this unit to offer assistance with daily living for patients who have renal disease or who have undergone a kidney or liver transplant. The main function of the volunteer is to show compassion and offer emotional support by engaging patients in conversation, companionship, mealtime assistance, answering call bells and relaying patient requests to clinical team when out of volunteer’s scope. Volunteers may participate in additional projects requested by clinical staff.
Must be 18 years or older
Available Daily 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Outpatient Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy
The volunteer’s main function in these areas is to assist the therapists with assigned tasks, focusing on a positive experience for our patients. Volunteers will be asked to help the therapist with patient activities, perform clerical roles, prep or clean treatment areas, and retrieve or store linens for patient use.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Child Life (Pediatrics)
Help ease the fears of children facing hospital stays by offering support and guidance to them and their families. Assist staff in one of the many therapeutic playrooms or at bedside in the hospital. Outpatient areas also available. Volunteers work with children and adolescents on activities such as arts and crafts, writing, reading, helping with schoolwork and playing games. It is preferable to have experience working or volunteering with children.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Limited evening and weekend opportunities available
Pediatric Emergency Department (Child Life)
Help ease the fears of children in the Pediatric Emergency Department by offering support and guidance to the children and their families. Engage the children and adolescents in conversation and activities and assist in keeping the toys clean and disinfected. This is a fast-paced environment. It is highly preferred that the volunteer has previous experience working or volunteering with children.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available 10:00AM-9:00PM
Emergency Department (ED)
The volunteer’s role in the ED is to enhance the patient and their visitor’s experience by adding a personal dimension to the visit while assisting the staff as needed in the delivery of care. The volunteer can have a significant positive impact on the individual’s perception of the ED and hospital experience by consistently being empathetic, supportive, and making sure the patient’s basic needs are met. Through communication and the use of problem solving techniques, the volunteer can change what might otherwise be perceived as an impersonal environment, to one of compassion and caring. Volunteers provide an invaluable service by supporting the ED staff.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily all hours. Limited shifts.
Surgical Units
Volunteers work directly with patients of all ages on fast-paced post-surgical units. The main component of the program is to provide emotional support and basic assistance with activities of daily living.
Tasks include: friendly visits with patients, ambulation and mealtime assistance, general and recreational assistance, interacting and engaging with patient visitors, assisting clinical staff in general duties on units.
Units available: Post-Surgical Stepdown and Ortho/Vascular
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Neurology
Volunteers work directly with adult patients afflicted with various neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, strokes, epilepsy, migraines, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, and neurology post-surgical. The main component of the program is to provide emotional support and basic assistance with activities of daily living. Tasks include friendly visits, acting as liaisons for patients, mealtime assistance, and conducting recreational activities.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Outpatient Infusion Center
The Infusion Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weil Cornell Campus provides chemotherapy infusions on an outpatient basis to cancer patients. These patients often experience a long wait time in this area and can also experience anxiety and stress due to their illness. Volunteers help patient flow by assisting in managing Phlebotomy throughput and help distribute lunch while patients are being treated. Volunteers in this area provide recreational activities as needed and compassionate support to patients while they are waiting in the waiting room and treatment area.
Must be 19 years of age or older
Available Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Patient Transport
Volunteers partner with our hospital Patient Transport staff, escorting patients throughout various areas of the hospital and at the point of discharge. Volunteers are able to provide valuable support to the patients along with their visitors through positive and friendly interactions.
Must be 16 years of age or older
Available daily 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Inpatient Rehab Unit
The volunteer’s main function in these areas is to assist the therapists with assigned tasks, focusing on a positive experience for our patients. Offer social/emotional support through companionship and conversation and engage in therapeutic activities. Volunteers will be asked to help the therapist with patient activities, perform clerical roles, prep or clean treatment areas, and retrieve or store linens for patient use.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Surgical Waiting Room Liaison
Volunteers act as a liaison between staff and family members in the waiting area outside the operating rooms. Keep families informed of patient status and be able to relay information in a professional and compassionate manner. Volunteers will accompany family members to the recovery room to visit the patient following surgery. Strong communication and customer service skills are required.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Comfort Zone
The Comfort Zone provides a special quiet zone for adult family members to “recharge” as they wait for news of a loved one in surgery or other procedures. The volunteers offer a listening ear and educational materials.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available Monday through Friday, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Food and Nutrition Opportunities
Our Food and Nutrition team utilizes volunteers in a variety of areas throughout the hospital. Volunteers may assist on our Amenities Unit and pantry, partnering with staff in daily set up and preparations. Through setting up food trays and kitchen inventory preparation, volunteers will strive to make the patient experience a positive one.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available daily with flexible hours
Psycho-social Rehabilitation
The volunteer assignment involves leading or co-leading groups or activities such as exercise, yoga, meditation, bingo, arts and crafts, ice cream socials, religious celebrations and musical performances in collaboration with a member of the psycho-social rehabilitation staff on Greenberg 11N. Unit is a 32-bed acute-care psychiatric unit including 12 patients with medical co-morbidities. Patients range in age from 18 to 90 plus, are of different racial, cultural and ethnic groups and have a range of psychiatric disorders.
Must be 18 years of age or older
Available Monday or Tuesday Evenings, & Weekends 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM