Lovelights Helps You Focus on Healing

Volunteers shall consist of adult individuals 18 or older who have an interest in assisting cancer patients in a variety of ways. Volunteer’s talents will be considered when individuals request interest in joining the volunteer force.

Basic needs will include interacting with patients and families to escort them through the Messino Cancer Center at the time of the initial visit to familiarize patients with the facility. Assisting patients with comforting needs in the chemotherapy area (obtaining blankets, refreshments, assisting to restroom, companionship and conversation, transportation to and from the infusion center) will be examples of such needs.

Many volunteers may have special talents such as musicians or counselors or prior patients with medical background that will be able to use these talents to assist patients in supportive ways. If a volunteer has such a talent this should be explored at the time of the interview or initial conversation with the director.

Other possible opportunities may include assisting with checking patients in, assisting with communications, and patient surveys.

All volunteers will have an orientation with the director of volunteers or his designated appointee. This will consist of a copy of the history of Lovelights, the management policy, and an oral discussion regarding the basic responsibilities and potential opportunities within the organization.

An orientation to the facility (which could be any of the Messino Cancer Centers pending the site of volunteering) will occur with the introduction to the directors of each area—office manager and assistant office manager, the head nurse, Lead for scheduling, lab personnel, intake personnel, and the triage clinic.

Each volunteer will spend several hours with the director or designee as they learn the basics of the facility, use of equipment such as wheelchairs, phone system, and the emergency equipment location—AED, exits and staircases.

The hours of operations at the Messino Cancer Centers are from 8 AM until 5 PM. Volunteers will arrange hours based on their schedule. If a volunteer wishes to be available on a schedule (once per week, twice per week, 4 hours per week etc.) this will be arranged, and schedule made known to staff. If on the other hand a volunteer wishes to be scheduled as available this will be set up and notification of this will occur to the office manager or assistant manager.

Volunteers are volunteers and there will be no requirement of their time to fulfill specific jobs unless requested by the volunteer (front office greeting, chemotherapy room assistance, filing, etc).

Since this position is purely volunteer there is no specific leave policy. If a volunteer has been on a specific schedule (weekly or bi-weekly) it will be requested should this schedule change or be interrupted that the volunteer notify the director or office manager.

At such a time that the volunteer would like to resume a schedule the director or office manager will be notified.

The safe environment for patients and staff should include those who agree to volunteer at one of the Messino Cancer Centers. Clearly, safety is a priority, and this includes physical and environmental safety for all. All emergency procedures will be outlined as well as emergency exits and the fire plans. With the onset of Covid 19, the health and safety of staff and patients has reached a high level of cooperation by everyone. All office guidelines will follow as with strict handwashing and masks as determined by office protocol. Volunteers who feel ill or have possible exposure to someone with a contagious illness should not come to the office and notify the office administrator of the issue.

Appropriate vaccination records should be available in the volunteer's file. Any underlying illness that may affect one's performance should be known – examples would include significant diabetes, asthma, heart disease, or seizure disorder.

All volunteers will be asked to undergo a urine drug screening on initial application. Background checking will be conducted as a routine as done for all employees at Messino Cancer Centers

Patient confidentiality is extremely important. Discussion of patients outside of the office is prohibited. There will be patients that volunteers will meet and recognize. The identity and situation surrounding that patient should not be disclosed or revealed to others to protect their privacy.

Breech of this will result in termination of the volunteer’s tenure. We also should respect the staff. The fact that they work at Messino Cancer Centers may or may not be something that they wish to be disclosed.

All volunteers and staff are expected to be respectful of each other and all patients. Should a patient or staff act disrespectfully toward a volunteer or staff, that incident should be reported immediately to the director of volunteers or to the office manager. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Volunteers in turn must be respectful of patients, families and staff at all times. Stressful situations frequently can result in misunderstandings, and one needs to be able to respond appropriately in such situations, but outright disrespect cannot occur.

All volunteers will be evaluated by the director and staff. Evaluations will be shared with the volunteer and become part of the volunteer’s record. Patients will be asked their feelings about the volunteer program. Specific volunteers will not be mentioned however, all general feedback will be given to the given to all the volunteers and specific comments naming individual volunteers will be shared with that volunteer by the director. The hope the volunteer program is for the volunteer to have a positive experience and the patients and staff to also have a positive experience.