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Volunteerism in Health Clinics
Global Volunteer Month is a reminder to support clinics via volunteerism.
Healthare volunteers are a significant component of Virginia's free and charitable clinic workforce as demonstrated by a volunteer to paid employee ratio of roughly 8:1. Clinics leverage these skilled volunteers to help keep operating costs down so they can continue to provide uninsured and underinsured patients with high-quality health services. In the past year, Virginia's network of free and charitable clinics utilized 7,645 volunteers who provided over $9.2 million dollars in pro bono care and support.
During Global Volunteer Month and National Volunteer Week, we encourage Virginians to find nonprofits in their community to support. More specifically, we're calling on healthcare professionals to answer the call to support their local health clinics. To help connect interested healthcare professionals to needs in clinics, the VAFCC created a Volunteer Opportunity Board to promote key healthcare positions at local clinics. There are more than 140 open positions in various regions of the state including physicians, nurses, mental health counselors, social workers, dentists, dental hygienists, and pharmacists among many others.
“Our healthcare volunteers are a vital component in the provision of comprehensive, quality health care to Virginia's uninsured population,” said Rufus Phillips, VAFCC CEO. “These individuals make a huge impact, helping to keep operating costs down so free clinics can continue offering equitable and accessible care. We're hopeful more healthcare professionals will step up to serve as volunteers in their local clinics.” While there are roles for everyone at clinics, licensed healthcare professionals who donate their time to care for some of Virginia's most vulnerable citizens are most critically needed.
Photo by Rebecca Drobis
