Since 1954 the Volunteer Services Department of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) has promoted and supported health care volunteerism in the state’s hospitals and health systems. For more information, contact the CAHHS Volunteer Services Department at (916) 552-7544 or volunteers@calhospital.org.
CAHHS Volunteer Services
Volunteer Worthy News
May 20, 2021
- Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System celebrates its volunteers during drive-thru event
- San Bernardino nurse fulfills lifelong career dream, grateful to serve community
- Volunteers are the backbone of Palomar Health COVID-19 Resource Clinic
- Sharp Coronado Hospital’s Ana Ramirez Honored With Rotary’s Bob Watson Service Above Self Award
- Northridge woman celebrates her 100th birthday – and 50 years as hospital volunteer – Daily News
- Guest Column | Volunteers Strengthen Our Communities
- City, Henry Mayo celebrate National Volunteer Appreciation Week
- ‘Thank you’: Geffen Academy students show love for front-line health care workers through letters, drawings
- PIH Health Achieves Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award™
- Critical workers return to hospital
- Hope Hospice Appoints Pat Brown as President
- Rep. Sherrill Applauds Passage of PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- How to celebrate Hospital Week in 2021
- ‘Dogtors’ return to provide pet therapy at Dignity Health – Northridge Hospital Medical Center
- Volunteers back to work
- Volunteer Retention: 9 Ways to Keep Your Volunteers
- Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Manager, May 2021
April 21, 2021
- How sewing masks for the vulnerable stitched together an empowering Facebook community
- Cottage Health reaches vaccination milestone
- This California nonprofit collects used crayons that would otherwise end up in the landfill and recycles into new crayons for children’s hospitals across the U.S.
- Tehachapi songwriter creates a tribute to hospital workers in the heart of the pandemic
- Seven Ways to Engage Remote Volunteers
- ‘I’m making a difference:’ Vaccine site volunteers came for a shot, but stayed to help
- 6 Ways to Volunteer with Pets
- National Volunteer Month: How to volunteer in 2021
- Volunteers return for the first time in a year at Mercy Medical Center in Redding
- Updates from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and Hospital Foundation
- April: 18-24: Henry Mayo Recognizes Volunteers During National Volunteer Appreciation Week
- A Proclamation on National Volunteer Week, 2021
- SDSU Nursing Students partner with San Diego County to assist in local COVID-19 vaccination effort
- Hospital volunteers return a year after the pandemic
- Even During Pandemic, Volunteers Bring Comfort
- Becker’s Healthcare Podcast | Scott Reiner, CEO of Adventist Health
- Zen and the Art of Animal-Assisted Therapy
- CSUCI nursing students volunteering at multiple vaccination sites
- Celebrating and Honoring Hospital Volunteers
- Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers, April 2021
- Whittier senior named 2021 Dell Scholar
March 25, 2021
- ‘A New Beginning After a Very Dark Year’: Vaccinated and Ready to Work, SNMH Auxiliary Returns to Hospital
- Together Safely IMC’s COVID-19 Operating Protocols
- Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation Director named Woman of the Year
- UC Students Spread Hope and Gratitude Through
- COVID-19 Compassion ProjectsCOVID-19 Clinic Volunteers Are Key For Returning To Normal
- One Year Later: Key Points that Led Up to California’s Stay-at-Home Order
- Group of health care organizations to open mass vaccination site at CSUB
- Hospitals in Much of California Begin Reopening to Visitors
- Keep, improve California’s End of Life Option Act
- Songs for the Dying The Threshold Choir provides music and comfort for a particularly special audience
- Kaiser Permanente to host vaccination clinic at Stockton Arena
- Butte County COVID-19 Vaccine Volunteers Dedicate Time
- How to volunteer at COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Sac, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and other NorCal areas
- Red Cross Philanthropy and Volunteerism
- Cindy’s Newsletter for Gift Shop Managers, March 2021
- California Department of Public Health All Facilities Letters
December 23, 2020
- IMC Launches “Market Insights” Monthly Webinar Series
- Volunteering ‘round the clock with Liz Pretzinger
- Bags that are ‘sew’ good for patients
- Volunteer with Redlands Police Department continues to serve the community at age 90
- SNMH Foundation celebrates success despite Covid-19
- Therapy dogs go virtual at California hospital during pandemic
- Orange County Mobile Field Hospital Being Built to Assist Deal With Hospital Surge
- Guest Editorial: Safely give time, money to charities this holiday — even in a pandemic
- Sharp Coronado Hospital Awarded Highest Level Of Achievement For Excellence In Person-Centered Care
- Local couple reunites after 7 months apart due to COVID-19 restrictions
- Kindness still welcome this Thanksgiving, but organizers are making some changes
- California Urges Hospitals to Test All Workers for Virus
- Dignity Health Central Coast Hospitals Provide Scholarships to Local Teen Volunteers
- Sharp Coronado Hospital Auxiliary Spreads Holiday Cheer with Homemade Quilts
November 18, 2020
- Adventist Health CEO Scott Reiner Elected 2021 Chair of the CHA Board of Trustees
- Mom delivers her baby then votes in the 2020 election from hospital
- Dr. Dan Brennan: We Can All Be ‘Masked and Mighty’ Superheroes in Fighting COVID-19
- In the hospital? You can still vote in California and most other parts of the country
- ‘Catwalk For A Cure’ Raises $140K In Virtual Event
- Updates from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and Hospital Foundation
- Christmas Card Project purchases new ventilator for hospital
- Volunteers Helps Develop Soft Skills
- Kaiser Permanente pledges $1M to American Heart Association fund in honor of late CEO
- Guidelines for safely celebrating the holidays amid COVID-19
- Bay Area Counties Issue Joint Guidelines for COVID-19 Safety in Holiday Season
- Volunteerism Falls Sharply Amid Covid, Study Says
- COVID Is Crimping Volunteer Time
- Extra Mile Day to be honored in Roseville, over 400 cities | How to observe the day
- Webinar: Health care’s shifting landscape — Finding opportunities for growth
- Practicing self-compassion during quarantine
- Family Now: Be a virtual volunteer
- Donate and Volunteer to Give Back this Holiday Season
- Chief Service Officer of California visits FIND Food Bank to urge people to volunteer
- Las Vegas Market Primed to Help the Industry Get Back to Business
October 21, 2020
- 6 Surprising Benefits of Volunteering You Need to Know
- CHLA Volunteers Keep Helping During Pandemic
- Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital awards $15K in scholarships
- Gilroy Hospital Workers Honor First Responders
- Dozens of volunteers in Fresno honored in drive-thru ceremony
- Kaiser Permanente “Cards for Seniors” collects 1,400 cheer-ups
- Celebrating Halloween Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Volunteering in the face of COVID
- How Do Social Determinants of Health Affect Patient Wellness?
- Common Impact Releases Insights & Impact 2020: Measuring the Social Impact of Volunteerism
- “Supporting Mental Resilience for Good Health During COVID-19” Zoom webinar hosted by American Heart Association, Adventist Health Lodi Memorial and Dameron Hospital
- 5 Ways Local Hospitals Support Their Frontline Workers
- Pandemic Sparking New Wave of Volunteerism
Italicized news links are no longer available.
National Volunteer Week 2021
Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge the many passionate volunteers who donate their time, offer their talents, share their skills, and provide vital support to causes they care about in their hospital and community. This year’s annual week of recognition is April 18-24.
In what has been an unprecedented year for all hospitals and health care systems, volunteers remain strong, and continue to adapt to the endless changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether in the hospital setting or safely from home, the impact volunteers continue to have is instrumental to the health and safety of their hospitals and communities.
In the coming weeks, CAHHS Volunteer Services encourages you to honor and celebrate your volunteers. Here are a few ways to recognize their contributions:
- Share your story of gratitude about a volunteer who has made a difference in your hospital
- Show your appreciation on social media using #VolunteerstheHeartofHealthcare
- Plan fun and safe events
- Use Zoom for virtual interaction
- Create drive-through experiences
- Mail or email special greetings
- Recognize volunteers for awards or hours of service
- Ask hospital leadership and staff to share their messages of thanks
We look forward to seeing all your creative ways you honor volunteers.
Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud. – Helen Dyer
CHA Status Report
Share Your Story of Gratitude
For some people, volunteering is about giving. But for the likes of you, it is a way of living … thank you. – Unknown
The benefits of volunteering are endless. Foundationally, it all starts with a wealth of emotions that overcome oneself when you set out on your volunteer assignment – a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that you’re making a difference in your life and the lives of others.
Beyond feelings, volunteering creates connections to others and leaves lasting impacts on your community. Those who volunteer do so selflessly, without hesitation, or expectation of something in return.
We are grateful every day for those who dedicate their time to volunteerism and would like to provide an opportunity for members to voice their gratitude using the From the Heart section of our monthly newsletter.
We encourage you to thank a fellow volunteer, colleague, community member, or anyone you believe made your day a little brighter. Acknowledging someone for their heartfelt kindness can make a huge impact on yourself and others, creating a ripple effect of positive gratitude.
Email volunteers@calhospital.org to share your story.
CAHHS Volunteer Services Department Vision and Mission
Vision
Volunteer Services is an organization that can lessen the economic burden on the system, one that becomes part of a whole team whose sole purpose is to heal and comfort.
Mission
- Volunteers assigned to each hospital department.
- Volunteers creating a measurable impact in keeping California’s hospitals open.
- Uniformity of programs and services in California’s hospital volunteer programs.
- Volunteers creating a measurable impact in health care advocacy campaigns.
Following State Bill Intro Deadline, Focus Remains on Financial Instability
Last Friday marked the deadline to introduce bills for the 2026 state legislative session. While the focus for this year will be on CHA’s two sponsored bills, there are several concerning pieces of legislation that will demand intensive engagement. (All told, about 1,800 bills have been introduced this year.)
(more…)CHA Hosts Legislative Briefing on AI in Health Care
What’s happening: On Feb. 24, CHA held a virtual briefing to educate legislative staff about artificial intelligence (AI) in health care — including its use, governance, and opportunities in California’s health care delivery system.
What else to know: More than 50 legislative staff, including staff from the Assembly and Senate Health Committees and the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, heard from three CHA member panelists:
- Matt Eisenberg, MD, associate chief medical information officer, Stanford Health Care
- Kristine Lee, MD, associate executive director, The Permanente Medical Group
- Shane Thielman, corporate senior vice president, chief information & digital officer, Scripps Health
The briefing was interactive with panelists sharing their experiences and perspectives. Attendees heard about how hospitals are using AI to improve care, reduce clinician burnout, enhance patient safety, and identify hospitalized patients at risk of deterioration. All three organizations stressed that AI is assistive, not a replacement for clinicians. Providers must ask patients for consent, review and edit AI-generated notes, remain accountable for final decisions, and rely on strong cybersecurity and HIPAA-aligned safeguards for protected health information (PHI).
Other key takeaways:
- Governance is central: hospital systems use multidisciplinary committees, standardized assessments, and AI registries, and cease using underperforming or unsafe models.
- Models are piloted and tested before being deployed in the clinical setting for all patients.
- Continuous monitoring — both quantitative (performance metrics) and qualitative (clinician feedback) — is essential to detect model drift, usability issues, and unintended consequences.
- Workforce training on AI tools, ethics, PHI protection, and limitations is recurring and seen as critical to building trust and “future-ready” skills.
- All panelists emphasized a “human-in-the-loop” approach, preserving clinician autonomy and judgment while using AI as augmented intelligence to support access, quality, and safety.
CHA Symposium to Address Critical Issues Facing Rural Hospitals — Register Today
What’s happening: There is still time to register for CHA’s annual Rural Health Care Symposium on March 23-24 at the Kimpton Sawyer in Sacramento. Speakers will explore challenges faced by rural hospitals, and attendees will leave with valuable insights on a range of critical health care topics.
(more…)Register for Webinars on IRF Review Choice Demonstration
What’s happening: Noridian will host three webinars for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) ahead of the May 1 implementation of the IRF Review Choice Demonstration.
(more…)