Students Redefine What it Means to Be a Volunteer

In April, RVU celebrated National Volunteer Week by spotlighting the incredible efforts of students as they helped their communities and those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

As a Director of Volunteer Services for CovidLine, SD West oversaw the recruitment, onboarding, training, and scheduling of volunteers. At times, she also filled in as a Clinical Assistant. CovidLine, a project backed by the Innovation Response Volunteers and Clinica Colorado, focuses on bringing telehealth access to uninsured COVID-19 patients in Colorado. “I wanted to get involved in helping [COVID-19] patients in whatever way I was able to,” said SD West. “I’ve been on nightly meetings and have been working together with the rest of the team to create the system and workflow, solve problems, and come up with creative solutions.”

For those wanting to volunteer during what is an undeniably unprecedented time, SD West recommended taking the initiative, especially as systems are still being developed to connect those who want to help to those in need. “This is not traditional volunteering where you step into a clearly defined role that is stable and [static],” so students should prepare to be leaders and innovators in the days ahead. “We need to be adaptable. If you see a need, become the way to meet that need,” said SD West. Whether it’s creating volunteer opportunities or just reaching out to others with words of encouragement, “there is still a lot we can do for our communities.”

For SD McCann, one of the most challenging aspects of volunteering as a scribe for the Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic of St. George was switching over to telehealth appointments for patients. Despite this sudden change in healthcare delivery, “it has been a unique experience helping and meeting with patients from their homes. You get a more in-depth view on who they are as a person and not just as a patient.”

While volunteering with the Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic, SD McCann saw the clinic quickly adapt to the current situation to continue helping their patients. “They do good work serving a population in need,” he said. “Many of the doctors are volunteers [who have put themselves] at risk to COVID-19.” SD McCann’s advice for those looking for ways to volunteer was to reach out to acquaintances and to ask local clinics what unique opportunities they have available for students.

Emergency management and disaster relief have always been of interest to PAS Eatough. When the opportunity arose to work on a multi-agency taskforce to establish an alternate care facility for Tier-4 COVID-19 patients, he was one of the first volunteers from RVU onsite. At the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, PAS Eatough and several other RVU students helped the Arapahoe County Sherriff’s Department and other agencies to design and set up a 54-bed temporary facility/field hospital. The students also helped the taskforce prioritize the right medical equipment and researched protocols pertinent to the treatment of COVID-19.

As a proponent of interprofessional collaboration, PAS Eatough was impressed with how the taskforce brought different groups, organizations, and agencies together. “It has been fascinating to learn from [each agency’s] organizational skills and available resources to quickly make incredible things happen in a time of need,” he said. In turn, Jordan taught the other volunteers about the physician assistant profession and what exactly a PA can do. At the end of the day, this opportunity reinforced why he chooses to volunteer: “It truly makes me happy and helps remind me of the things that matter most to me in life. Service helps bring balance to life.”

Read the full story, including other highlighted students, at RVUBlog.com.