The Denver Health volunteer program began in 1935 to help Denver Health to fulfill its threefold goal of patient care, education and research. The role of the volunteer is to supplement the professional staff, thereby freeing time to provide the best medical, nursing and support services to patients. Volunteers add the extra dimensions of empathy, sensitivity, warmth and friendliness to ease and brighten a patient's hospital stay or clinic visit.

Denver Health has 250 volunteers who donate more than 30,000 hours every year. With more than 35 different volunteer specialties available, adults and teenagers can donate time in the emergency department, pediatrics, the front desk, the cancer infusion center, the gift shop, our Newborns in Need program and many more departments.

Requirements to become a volunteer: you must be 16 years of age or older and volunteers are asked to commit to four hours of service per week for at least six months. To become a volunteer, fill out and send in an application (see link in the left column) to the Director of Volunteer Services.

To obtain more information, receive an application or make a donation, please call 303-602-2926 or visit: http://denverhealth.org/AboutUs/VolunteerServices.aspx.  Denver Health's volunteer office is now located in the Teammates for Kids Child Life Zone on the first floor of Pavilion C at the Denver Health Medical Center. Our office hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Laurel Ris, Director of Volunteer Services
Laurel.Ris@dhha.org

Denver Health volunteers were honored at the annual Volunteer and Donor Recognition Luncheon held on April 12th at the Denver Art Museum. Attendees were treated to motivational words from former First Lady of Colorado, Frances W. Owens, Patricia Gabow, M.D., CEO of Denver Health and Laurel Ris, Director of Volunteer Services and Patient Information at Denver Health. Special awards and recognition were paid to outstanding volunteers and employees. The National Charity League was named the Partner of the Year, Sheila Perez-Kindle was named the Volunteer Supervisor of the Year and Susan Gomez was named the Volunteer of the Year for her work as a Spiritual Care Patient Visitor.


Volunteer Supervisor of the Year, Sheila Perez-Kindle and Volunteer Services Director, Laurel Ris

Chaplain Dirk Van Der Vorst with Volunteer of the Year, Sue Gomez