This information has been compiled by a student at Portland State University that has volunteered at Tuality Community Hospital in various positions. Learn more about the hospital, the application process, and my personal volunteering experience below.
Learn more about Tuality >> OHSU Tuality Community Hospital
Learn more about Volunteering at Tuality >> OHSU Tuality Volunteer Opportunities
Apply to Volunteer at Tuality >> Online Application or 503-681-1489 for a paper application
Learn more about Tuality >> OHSU Tuality Community Hospital
Learn more about Volunteering at Tuality >> OHSU Tuality Volunteer Opportunities
Apply to Volunteer at Tuality >> Online Application or 503-681-1489 for a paper application
OHSU Tuality community hospital
Photo credit: OHSU Tuality Community Hospital
HISTORY
Tuality Community Hospital was started in 1918 by Minnie Jones Coy in her home with just 6 beds available for patients. It was then established as Jones Hospital in Hillsboro and eventually moved several times and grew to 74 beds by 1952. By that time, community physicians had purchased the hospital from Minnie's estate after her passing to establish a non-profit institution. In 1954, the name was changed to Tuality Community Hospital. In 2016, OHSU affiliation agreement was signed and hospital becomes OHSU Tuality Healthcare.
Photo credit: OHSU Tuality Community Hospital
how can I volunteer at tuality?
"Tuality’s volunteer program is built around people committed to providing a compassionate, healing environment for patients and their families." OHSU Tuality Volunteer Opportunities
- 100 volunteer hour commitment, ~4 hours per week
- Must be 16 years of age
- Steps: Application with position preference required, interview #1 and #2, background check, vaccination screening, general volunteer orientation, position specific training
- Application available online or in-person
- Various placements: information desks, nursing units, clerical, special projects, gift shop, *emergency department, *physical therapy, etc (*available for consideration once 100 hour minimum is completed)
Photo credit: OHSU Tuality Volunteer Opportunities (photo release conducted by OHSU Tuality Volunteering)
My personal volunteering experience at tuality
As a full-time college student and part-time employee, a volunteering position that allows for a once-per-week shift for four hours is kind of a dream and a one hundred hour commitment at that. Most healthcare volunteering positions require timeline specific volunteering commitments and a position that is flexible and allows for position and time availability movement is amazing. The volunteer management is great to work with and every staff I have had interaction with has been very nice. This position has allowed me to build my healthcare patient repertoire and build relationships with people who work in the healthcare field, even if it isn't in my goal career field of Pharmacy. Thus far, I have completed nearly 300 hours of volunteering in two different nursing unit positions, Medical-Surgical and ICU/PCU.
- Medical-Surgical-- see acutely ill or those waiting for or recovering from surgery
- Patient examples- those receiving dialysis treatment, those recovering from surgery, those admitted after a fall or injury
- Volunteer Duties- stock supplies in rooms, answer phones, dismiss patients by wheelchair, provide food/drink as directed, run patient labs to laboratory, etc
- ICU/PCU-- see patients in need of immediate/intensive support or care for long term patients (ICU), and patients that aren't intensive enough for the ICU but critical enough to not be on a more general floor
- Patient examples- those on life support, those with critical injuries, and those being monitored for a serious heart condition, those recovering from neurosurgery or cancer treatment
Reflection
In each position, I've seen a variety of patients, nursing staff, and doctors and have had a chance to build a good foundation for my future in healthcare as a Pharmacist. With my experience in this position, my undergraduate work, interviewing, etc, I was admitted to graduate school to work towards my PharmD. I am incredibly grateful for everything the hospital has allowed me to do, all the relationships I've built with the staff, and the patients I've gotten to speak to.
While volunteering may be a difficult thing to consider working into your schedule, if you are going into the healthcare field and are close enough to Tuality for it to be an option, do some research and fill out an application. It really is a great place to volunteer, has great staff, great volunteers, is flexible, and there are some fun benefits that come along with volunteering at Tuality like a meal credit for the day you are on campus or discounts at community partners/retailers.
Thank you Tuality for a great volunteering experience and thanks for reading if you made it this far!
While volunteering may be a difficult thing to consider working into your schedule, if you are going into the healthcare field and are close enough to Tuality for it to be an option, do some research and fill out an application. It really is a great place to volunteer, has great staff, great volunteers, is flexible, and there are some fun benefits that come along with volunteering at Tuality like a meal credit for the day you are on campus or discounts at community partners/retailers.
Thank you Tuality for a great volunteering experience and thanks for reading if you made it this far!