NorthBay Health’s Teen Volunteer Program provides students with an opportunity to explore healthcare careers while making a meaningful impact. Volunteers gain valuable experience, build professional skills, connect with healthcare staff, and may receive references for college or future employment. Eligible participants interested in healthcare careers may also apply for scholarship opportunities through NorthBay Health.

1) Requirements to Volunteer

• Interest in healthcare as a career.
• Age 16 to 17 years (or turning 18 during your senior year) and a high school student within Solano County or surrounding areas.
• Ability to volunteer up to 8 hours per month, including a monthly Med-Talk meeting.

2) Your Responsibility as a Teen Volunteer

NorthBay Health is committed to high ethical standards, professionalism, and quality patient care. As a Teen Volunteer, you are expected to demonstrate conduct that reflects our TRUE NORTH values—showing respect, taking responsibility, building trust, and contributing positively to the care environment.

3) To be an active Teen Volunteer, one must have

• A genuine interest in NorthBay Health and its mission to serve patients and the community
• The physical and emotional ability to safely carry out assigned volunteer activities
• The ability to commit to regularly scheduled volunteer shifts
• A sense of responsibility and accountability for any volunteer commitment accepted
• Openness to learning, guidance, and supervision from staff and volunteer leaders
• Willingness to follow program guidelines and boundaries established to support patient safety and a positive care environment

4) Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a fundamental responsibility in healthcare. As a Teen Volunteer at NorthBay Health, you are expected to respect every patient’s right to privacy by keeping all patient information you see or hear strictly confidential.

5) Interested in joining our program?

We’re so grateful for your interest in volunteering with us! While volunteer applications are currently closed, we hope you’ll check back in the future for new opportunities to get involved.

Guild Volunteers make a difference in the community by donating their time and efforts in a compassionate, caring environment here at NorthBay. To become a member of our league of Volunteers, please ensure that you have completed all of the following steps:

1) Minimum Requirements to Volunteer

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and commit to the following:

• A minimum of one (1) shift per week, AND
• At least 100 hours per year from the date the Volunteer starts his or her service.

Volunteers must pass a criminal background check, attend a mandatory orientation prior to beginning service and be able to speak and read English sufficiently enough to fulfill their assignment.

Physical Requirements for every position:

• Must be able to walk with a normal gait.
• Must be able to stand unassisted for at least ten (10) minutes, unless reasonable accommodations can be made.
• Must be able to bend and lift objects up to five (5) pounds and return to a standing position with, or without, the use of assistance of a stationary object (i.e. desk, table, etc.).
• Ability to move quickly throughout the hospital.
• Physical stamina and ability to push wheelchairs.

2) Select a Service Area

Guild Volunteers serve in a wide range of services areas both inside and outside of the Hospital. You can find your perfect niche by taking a look at some of the opportunities available to our volunteers further down on this page.

3) Fill Out an Application

We’re so grateful for your interest in volunteering with us! While volunteer applications are currently closed, we hope you’ll check back in the future for new opportunities to get involved.

4) Interview Process

After submitting an application, the applicant will be contacted by a Guild member for an interview over the phone. The objective of the interview is to get general information about the applicant. Interviews usually cover the applicant's prior volunteer experience, reasons why the applicant is interested in volunteering for the Guild, and availability in the applicant's desired service areas. The interview is also an opportunity for applicants to ask any additional questions they may have.
 

5) Clearing Checks

After the interview, applicants will be asked to submit a background check through Verified Volunteers. The form can be found here -- https://app.verifiedvolunteers.com. You will be asked to create an account and log in through the volunteers portal. Select "Get Verified" and enter GOOD DEED code qxnt1ko. Fill out the four steps, enter a credit card number for the $25 fee, and click COMPLETE. Applicants can authorize other agencies to access it if the participant volunteers in other places. Once Volunteer Services has received the completed background check, and conferred with the applicant's personal references, if the applicant has satisfactorily met all the requirements, the applicant will be invited to an Orientation.

6) Medical Clearance

You will need to provide documentation of two TB tests within 12 months - one within the past 30 days - and proof of titers for Rubella, Rubeola, Mumps and Varicella, or proof of two MMR vaccinations and two varicella vaccinations. You will also need to provide verification of flu shot or signed declination of flu shot.

7) Orientation

Orientations are held approximately once a month. At the Orientation, you will receive information regarding your responsibility as a Volunteer, NorthBay's policies regarding Volunteers, and important safety information.

Orientations typically take two hours from start to finish, and are held at NorthBay Health Foundation's offices at the Green Valley Administration Center, 4500 Business Center Drive, Fairfield. For upcoming orientation dates, contact Volunteer Services at (707) 646-3138.

8) Begin Service

Volunteering may begin once all of the following have been completed:

• Attend an Orientation
• Background check cleared
• Reference check cleared
• Background check
• Issued a badge by Human Resources.

NorthBay Healthcare offers college students who are interested in a health care career the opportunity to work in a hospital setting. College Student Volunteers are different from Guild Volunteers and require additional screening and requirements to enroll.

Additionally, because of certain rules, regulations, and policies, College Student Volunteers at NorthBay do not perform many of the same services that are performed by volunteers at an educational institution, such as U.C. Davis Medical Center.

It is very important that interested applicants to the College Student Volunteer Service read this entire page before applying to ensure that NorthBay's College Student Volunteer Service is a good fit for them.

What are the requirements?

• 100 Hours / 3 Hours Per Week: NorthBay requires a firm commitment of 100 volunteer hours per year, and a minimum of three (3) hours per week.
• Evening & Weekends Only: Student volunteers are only permitted to volunteer on evenings and weekends.
• Basic Volunteer Requirements: All Volunteers, including College Student Volunteers, are required to meet the requirements as listed on this page.
• Dress Code: All Volunteers are required to adhere to NorthBay's dress code. This means NO acrylic, silk wrap or other false nails and professional dress at all times.

1) Fill Out an Application

We’re so grateful for your interest in volunteering with us! While volunteer applications are currently closed, we hope you’ll check back in the future for new opportunities to get involved.

2) Interview Process

After submitting an application, the applicant will be contacted by a Guild member for an interview over the phone. The objective of the interview is to get general information about the applicant. Interviews usually cover the applicant's prior volunteer experience, reasons why the applicant is interested in volunteering for the Guild, and availability in the applicant's desired service areas. The interview is also an opportunity for applicants to ask any additional questions they may have.

3) Clearing Checks

After the interview, applicants will be asked to submit a background check through Verified Volunteers. The form can be found here -- https://app.verifiedvolunteers.com. You will be asked to create an account and log in through the volunteers portal. Select "Get Verified" and enter GOOD DEED code qxnt1ko. Fill out the four steps, enter a credit card number for the $25 fee, and click COMPLETE. Applicants can authorize other agencies to access it if the participant volunteers in other places. Once Volunteer Services has received the completed background check, and conferred with the applicant's personal references, if the applicant has satisfactorily met all the requirements, the applicant will be invited to an Orientation.

4) Medical Clearance

You will need to provide documentation of two TB tests within 12 months - one within the past 30 days - and proof of titers for Rubella, Rubeola, Mumps and Varicella, or proof of two MMR vaccinations and two varicella vaccinations. You will also need to provide verification of flu shot or signed declination of flu shot.

5) Orientation

Orientations are held approximately once a month. At the Orientation, you will receive information regarding your responsibility as a Volunteer, NorthBay's policies regarding Volunteers, and important safety information.

Orientations typically take two hours from start to finish, and are held at NorthBay Healthcare Foundation's offices at the Green Valley Administration Center, 4500 Business Center Drive, Fairfield. For upcoming orientation dates, contact Volunteer Services at (707) 646-3137.

6) Begin Service

Volunteering may begin once all of the following have been completed:

• Attend an Orientation
• Background check cleared
• Reference check cleared
• Background check
• Issued a badge by Human Resources.

Unfortunately, due to the current economic times, we have been forced to require a deposit from our Volunteers. Upon the completion of 100 hours in one year, your entire deposit will be returned to you except the Guild Membership dues of $10. There are a few ways you can reduce the amount of the deposit by providing some of the required documentation and uniform pieces (included in the table above under the heading "Items You May Provide and Deduct").

What services will I perform at NorthBay?

You will offer extra TLC and kindness to our patients and their families. We raise money for the hospital and we support our community.

We expect a commitment of at least 100 hours per year and a minimum of six (6) months service on a regular schedule. Unfortunately, due to the length of time required to train and clear volunteers, we cannot accept "Summer Only" applicants.

We do three adult student orientations each year and can take up to 20 volunteers. To see the dates for an upcoming Orientation, please click here.

Customarily, students who plan to pursue a medical career find it more satisfying to work in the Emergency Department or on the Hospital Floor. In these positions, you can have as much patient contact as you choose.

NOTE: Due to the Fair Standards Labor Act, the duties of our volunteers are somewhat restricted. We cannot have a volunteer working side by side doing the same job as a paid employee. Volunteers will not assist in medical treatment in any way.

To get a sense of the duties performed by volunteers in either the Emergency Department or the Hospital Floor, please see the lists below.

What services will I NOT perform at NorthBay?

• Volunteers do not do any hands-on care.
• Volunteers cannot perform the same job as a paid employee. The Fair Standards Labor Act (FSLA) does not allow it. Examples of paid employee positions are:
• • Front desk
  • Medical assistant
  • Phlebotomist
• Volunteers may not use any medical skills or assist in a medical procedure in any way. For example, nurses may not perform jobs although they are qualified to do so.
• Volunteers do not have a priority for any employment positions that may become available. Unfortunately, volunteering with NorthBay does not "get your foot in the door" for a paid position.

The College Student Volunteer Program is not considered an internship, externship, or work experience.

If you are looking for a more hands-on experience, you would be better served volunteering at an educational institution (such as U.C. Davis Medical Center).

If you are looking for employment with NorthBay Healthcare, please check our job opportunities on a regular basis.

What services can I preform?

ER Duties:

• Assist staff with non-medical tasks as needed
• Transport patients by wheelchair
• Transfer lab work in properly marked Biohazard plastic bags
• Run errands to other departments (i.e., Lab, Pharmacy, Radiology, Medical Records, etc.)
• Comfort waiting patients and families
• Provide refreshments to waiting families as appropriate
• Keep waiting area tidy and organized, and call for Environmental Services when appropriate
• Cut and roll bias
• Restock supplies in vacant rooms
• Make patient charts, transfer packets and patient education hand-outs
• Fax medical records
• Assist staff with clerical tasks as requested
• Remove used, but non-soiled, sheets from gurneys and replace with clean linens
• • If the used linens are soiled, they are to be removed by staff
  • If there is a question as to whether or not linens are soiled, consult staff
  • Gloves are to be worn when handling any linens
• Provide general assistance to visitors and patients
• Greet and give directions to visitors

Floor Duties:

• Assist staff with non-medical tasks as needed
• Transport patients by wheelchair
• Transfer lab work in properly market Biohazard plastic bags
• Run errands to other departments (i.e., Lab, Pharmacy, Radiology, Medical Records, etc.)
• Comfort waiting patients and families
• Provide refreshments to waiting families as appropriate
• Keep waiting area tidy and organized, and call for Environmental Services when appropriate
• Assist staff with clerical tasks as requested
• Deliver newspapers, mail and flowers to patients
• Brew and provide complimentary coffee to visitors in all visitor lounges (coffee provided to patients with nursing approval only)
• Respond to overhead pages and perform requested tasks
• Provide general assistance to visitors and patients
• Greet and give directions to visitors
• Keep newspapers / magazines tidy in all waiting areas
• PM Shift delivers nutrition snacks when requested

Volunteers staff the desk and offer up-to-date information about Alzheimer's Disease, as well as listings of resources available in Solano County. The volunteers also conduct monthly support group meetings for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.

The Emergency Departments are open 24/7/365 and our volunteers in the Emergency Department provide assistance and support to patients' families and hospital staff. Emergency Department volunteers are not involved in medical procedures, however, they may witness some difficult situations. Duties include:

• Stocking carts and shelves
• Making up exam rooms
• Transporting patients
• Moving records from one unit to another
• "Care visits" with our patients and families.

If you don't like sitting in one place, consider working on the floor. A Floor Host/Hostess:

• Offers directions
• Transports patients
• Moves records and paperwork from one unit to another
• Delivers flowers
• Offers visitors coffee
• Performs "care visits" with our patients.

Volunteers greet patients and visitors, providing directions and assistance as well as setting the tone for the patient experience. Volunteers may also support other hospital departments by rolling bandages or completing paperwork. If you enjoy being on the front lines and have a friendly disposition, this might be the perfect place for you!