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Aspen Valley Hospital is available 24/7 to provide you with the expert care that you need!

Phone:

970-925-1120

Get In Touch:

Send us a message

Address:

Aspen Valley Hospital
0401 Castle Creek Road
Aspen, CO 81611

Sign up for the Newsletter to receive the latest News & Events from Aspen Valley Hospital.

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Aspen Valley Hospital is available 24/7 to provide you with the expert care that you need!

Phone:

970-925-1120

Get In Touch:

Send us a message

Address:

Aspen Valley Hospital
0401 Castle Creek Road
Aspen, CO 81611

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Volunteers

Aspen Valley Hospital

Their spirit permeates because they give generously in so many different ways

Our volunteer team at Aspen Valley Hospital devotes thousands of hours annually to make a real and direct impact for our patients, for our staff and for our community.

 

Giving the Greatest Gift: Time

Our largest group of volunteers—our hospital volunteers—work alongside staff throughout the year. They provide assistance in eight different departments of the hospital, interacting with patients and providing help behind the scenes. 

 

How do they help?

Volunteers welcome visitors and help them navigate unfamiliar hallways; assist family and friends to find the perfect gift at Sally’s Gift Shop; deliver important correspondence; comfort family members with information, coffee and hugs; comfort patients by delivering flowers, meals and encouragement; and brighten days with their furry companions as part of our Pet Enrichment Therapy (PET) program in the hallways and at bedsides.

All of Aspen Valley Hospital’s volunteers—no matter their role—enrich the lives of our patients, families, and staff every day of the year. Our community is fortunate to have them all!

 

Want to learn more?

Download a volunteer application today.

Or, contact Andrea Shaffran, at 970-544-1261 or ashaffran@domainhu.com.

Hospital Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers assigned to this unit meter and sort all of the hospital’s outgoing mail, distribute incoming mail and forward mail. They copy, compile and deliver charts when needed. Volunteers deliver mail for patients to the Patient Care Unit desk.

Volunteers provide various types of assistance to the unit manager, nurses and doctors as requested. Duties include:

  • Greeting patients as they arrive
  • Relaying information on patient condition to visitors
  • Crowd control
  • Making beds
  • Replenishing charts
  • Making photocopies
  • Taking patients to the desk upon release
  • Moving patients to physical therapy or Patient Care Unit as requested
  • Updating families of patients in the waiting room
  • Restocking and answering the telephone as needed

Volunteers sell items from the gift shop and replace what they sell from the storeroom. They also notify the hospital’s purchasing department when there are special requests or an item is out of stock. Volunteers are also asked to participate in the annual Holiday Bazaar in November each year.

Volunteers operate from the front desk to greet patients and visitors. They escort those people who are not familiar with the hospital, as well as those who need assistance to the various departments, and they give directional advice. The volunteers tidy the Main Lobby, ED Lobby, and the Same Day Surgery Lobby as needed. Often, the volunteers will serve water, coffee and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

Volunteers work with the nursing staff in the Patient Care Unit, Aspen Birth Center and Intensive Care Unit and have an opportunity to interact with patients. Duties include:

  • Accessing limited patient information via computer
  • Distributing newspapers
  • Refilling water containers
  • Providing nourishment as requested
  • Helping with meal selections
  • Watering plants and restocking bedside drawers
  • Replenish refrigerators located in the PCU, ICU, Aspen Birth Center and ED kitchens and assist the kitchen staff when needed

Rehabilitation Services Volunteer has a primary job description of helping in the department as needed. Daily needs in rehab services include:

  • Placing sheets on mat tables and pillow cases on pillows
  • Cleaning up dirty linens and placing in dirty linen basket
  • Returning cold packs to refrigeration unit
  • Returning hot packs to heating unit and hanging moist heat covers
  • Making sure each treatment room is stocked adequately with linens (towels, face towel, pillow cases and sheets).
  • Returning equipment that was used back to its original location
  • If workstation-on-wheels batteries are dying, replace with charged battery
  • Taking lost individuals to their appropriate location

Volunteers assist the nurses in Same Day Surgery in any capacity needed. The volunteers have direct interaction with patients and almost every department in the hospital. Duties include:

  • Transporting patients to and from surgery
  • Preparing patient meals
  • Greeting patients and helping them change into surgical clothing
  • Updating patients’ families on progress
  • Restocking and tidying the unit kitchen, waiting room and chemotherapy room
  • Compiling charts and generally being available to run errands and perform any other jobs as requested

Share your special talents with the residents of Whitcomb Terrace. We welcome singers, pianists, dancers, actors, storytellers and artists of all types and ages. Participate in programmed activities, or coordinate your own activities for our residents with Whitcomb Terrace supervision. Volunteers provide accompaniment to appointments as well as local events like ballet, theatre and musical concerts. One-on-one chaperones to summer symphony concerts receive valuable complimentary tickets. Assist with decorations and spirit-lifting during any holiday season. Enjoy simple conversation and companionship with a resident over a cup of tea.

PET Enrichment Therapy (PET) Program

Aspen Valley Hospital’s Pet Therapy Program was initiated by Rita Cohen, RN, in 2001. Today, 16 different dogs visit Aspen Valley Hospital patients on a regular basis. The dogs are young and old, large and small, and come from a background of rescued mixed breeds to purebreds. But they all share some important characteristics: good health, mellow temperaments, excellent manners, and a love of people.

While most patients enjoy a visit from one of our Pet Therapy dogs—most of them miss their own pets while hospitalized—those who wish to pass can simply opt out of the visit. For those who enjoy dogs, the benefits are many: lower blood pressure, less stress, distraction from pain and discomfort, and a general sense of wellbeing. And for staff, the PET therapists are a welcome sight!

 

Our PET Therapy Dogs

"The dogs make every day a little brighter. They enjoy all the attention, and they return the favor with sweetness and love."

- Aspen Valley Hospital employee

Additional Volunteer Opportunities

Elected by the community within the Hospital district (which includes Pitkin County, excluding  Redstone), five Board members serve four-year terms, with terms staggered every two years when public elections occur. As a governing Board, they select and work closely with the Chief Executive Officer. Responsibilities include strategic planning; ensuring the Hospital’s mission and vision are achieved; the provision of a comprehensive level of quality care; and fiscal oversight. They meet monthly, and members also serve on one or more Hospital committees and attend annual governance retreats. Our sincere gratitude is extended to past and present Board members. Current board members include: Dr. Mindy Nagle, Dr. Greg Balko, David Eisenstat, Chuck Frias and Lee Schumacher.

The mission of the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation is to raise and manage philanthropic support for the current and future needs of Aspen Valley Hospital. The Board also serves in an advisory role, providing strategic input and feedback to the Hospital Board of Directors. The Board meets monthly, and members agree to financially support the organization with an annual gift that is appropriate and meaningful. The Foundation’s mission is interwoven with the Hospital’s vision of the future, and hinges on four prerequisites:

 

  • Reciprocated participation of Foundation and Hospital Board members at Board and associated committee meetings to ensure continued awareness and communication about strategic objectives.
  • Commitment to articulate the philosophy and goals of Aspen Valley Hospital and to listen to the community’s interests and needs, helping to communicate those needs to both the Hospital and Foundation Boards.
  • Continued visibility and community awareness of the Foundation’s singular role as the fundraising vehicle for AVH.
  • Commitment of the Foundation Board to support and maintain a strong and visible development program that involves the active leadership of Foundation Board members in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of individuals, businesses, private foundations, and grant makers both within and beyond the immediate community.

 

Learn more about the Foundation 

[click thru to microsite]

This committee is chaired by the Aspen Valley Hospital Board Treasurer and consists of one other hospital Board member, as well as three community members with expertise in finance and/or accounting. They typically meet two times per year—once to review the hospital’s year-end audit (performed by an outside CPA firm) and once to review the budget. They provide oversight and a comprehensive review of all Hospital financial statements, as well as the annual audit and budget. Interactions with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, representatives from the AVH Board of Directors and auditing staff are part of this experience.

This dedicated group of community members was originally formed to advise regarding approvals related to the hospital’s master facilities plan. Over the years, the committee has evolved to provide feedback and serve as a sounding board for a variety of issues. Since most members have used the hospital for personal or family medical care, they also provide input related to the delivery of care. The committee meets on a quarterly basis.