Hospital Volunteers: The Untold Story on Health Care Costs

It seems like every time you open the newspaper the subject of increased health care costs shows its ugly head. Couple that with the ongoing debate on the effectiveness and cost of health care reform. It can get to the point where one wonders if there is anything positive about our system. More times than not, the news media frequently focuses on the negative and scans the globe to find what is bad or not working and totally disregards reporting on successes. When it comes to success, let me share a significant positive to help control health care costs by maximizing the utilization of hospital volunteers.

In analyzing the cost savings for 2009 for Shawnee Mission Medical Center, the savings amounted to $2,143,651. This was accomplished by using 474 volunteers that directly impacted virtually every department of the hospital. By capitalizing on the use of volunteers, management is able to more effectively use human resources. In addition, there are no salaries, health insurance, or any other monetary payroll costs. The savings can readily be seen by the example of having a volunteer instead of an RN escort a discharged patient to their vehicle. Rarely does it require a medically trained person to transport a discharged person. Nor does it require medical training to help direct visitors to various locations within the hospital or campus. In simple terms, you are using the right tools for the right jobs.

One of the highlights for the volunteers is the Annual Volunteer Awards Luncheon. This year it was held at the Marriott Hotel. This is the time to celebrate all of the hours donated to the hospital. Picture in your mind entering a large banquet room filled with volunteers from one side to another. If you didn’t know better, you may think it was an annual shareholders meeting for a large international corporation. Instead, you are seeing people who are working of their own free will for no financial incentive. Management couldn’t have it any better. They have committed people who are motivated and not afflicted with low morale or poor work ethics. Volunteers are there because they see a need and have determined that it is important enough to do it without pay. When looking at the accumulated lengths of service of some volunteers, it is simply unbelievable. One had over 28,000 volunteer hours. Another has been a volunteer for 40 years. These are incredible numbers. Needless to say, if a hospital is not utilizing their volunteer program to capacity, they are missing out on a major resource.

Volunteers are also seen at the management and executive level in hospitals. An informative article on the subject is found in the March/April 2010 issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management, by Peter A. Weil and Peter Kimball. To learn more about management and executive volunteers, contact the American College of Healthcare Executives.       

The benefits are not solely to the hospital. There is the rich intangible reward of knowing you are providing a helping hand to people in need. This gives your life meaning and purpose. No doubt, this is why volunteers often live longer, have better health, and have a positive outlook on life. In summary, it is a win-win situation for the hospital, the volunteer, and the public.   

John Haynes

John Haynes, MS, MBA, is a retired school psychologist and a current volunteer at Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC). He served as a Hospital Corpsman at the US Naval Academy and served on the USS Sanctuary Hospital ship in Vietnam. In addition to his volunteer work at SMMC, he's actively involved in the community through the Shawnee Kiwanis Club and the Kansas Trails Council. His interests vary from backpacking and mountain biking to investment analysis and business management. He and his wife have two sons.