Members Share Why They Volunteer
Kaiser Permanente Northwest
Sunnyside Medical Center Volunteer Services
Volunteers provide an important service to the members and staff of Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, Oregon. Whether it be assisting someone to check in, in one of our in-patient units, in our Surgical prep and recovery unit or lend assistance with a wheelchair, our volunteers are there. While the facility was built in 1975 and has seen many renovations, the care you receive is some of the best. SMC continues to be a leading care provider in the nation for heart health. Our volunteers are proud of what makes the facility so good-the people who call this their place of work or where they volunteer.
It has been proven that volunteering helps people feel connected, can reduce loneliness and depression. It helps to keep you active and has been linked to reduced blood pressure.
Kaiser Sunnyside hospital volunteers are awesome! They range in age from 16 to 90. They come from all walks of life and varied experiences. They have this in common-they give of their time and talents. We are always looking for that individual who is willing to share their heart and time with our members. Perhaps you are that individual. Do you want others to feel valued and appreciated? Do you want to get out of the house or find time to fulfill a requirement for a scholarship? Do you want to be a Kaiser hospital volunteer? We invite you to apply – today!
Why Volunteer?
Help others and give back
Meet new people
Learn new skills
Gain experience
Discover new interests
Gain academic credit
Free meal on the day of service
Annual recognition
Annual complimentary flu vaccine
Help people smile
Develop new skills
Yes, we do give out activity packs
Child friendly available,
Find a sense of purpose
Volunteer Opportunities
Main Lobby (Rotunda)
Wheelchair Transports
Environment of Care Reviews
Hand Hygiene Audits
Compassionate Rounding
Emergency Department
Surgical Services Unit SPA/PACU
Medical Procedure Unit (MPU)
Surgical Services Waiting Room Support
Medical-Surgical Units
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Maternal Child Women’s Health (L&D)
Packet Production
Administrative Support - limited
Conduct Safety Tours
Operations Support
* Hourly commitment varies. Inquire for more information
Types of Volunteers
Adults
(Not attending college)
College
(Currently Attending)
High School
(16-Graduation)
Summer Program
(College Students Only for 2027)
Incident Command
(Ham Radio Operator)
FAQ's
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Your application will be reviewed. If we are able to move forward, you will be invited to attend an interview. We also require a background check, health screen, on-boarding, and training. For High School students, we need signed parent permission forms and unofficial transcripts submitted prior to the interview. Depending on how quickly you can provide the information needed, this entire process can take approximately up to one month.
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Sunnyside has a gift shop, but it is run by an outside vendor and not part of the volunteer program.
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We are also excited to have our high school (over age 16) and college students as part of our volunteer program. We have requirements for both length of time and the number of hours you must complete to fulfill your volunteer service. If these requirements also fit your program or class, that is great. What we cannot do is fit our requirements to that of your program or class.
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We have a number of volunteers who use public transportation to get to Sunnyside. We do not provide bus passes.
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Most volunteer opportunities at Kaiser require a weekly commitment. This is due to the amount of training and needs of the areas where volunteers serve. However, there are knitting and sewing volunteers that do not abide by the weekly commitment but provide knits monthly.
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Job shadows in Kaiser NW region are integral to our mission. Whether the shadow be in a clinic, at one of our hospitals or in another Kaiser NW facility, we seek to provide the best opportunity and process for shadows. Currently this program is under review and is not fully operational within the region. As information becomes available this site will be updated.
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We understand how crazy school schedules can be, so we have developed an 8x8 program for high school students and an 8x10 for college students. This opportunity is available in the summer. You can check it out by going into the summer compressed page above.
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The volunteer program provides a polo shirt or vest for you to wear. If you elect to wear a vest, then you will need to provide a white shirt. All volunteers wear khaki colored or light beige pants (no shorts) and closed toe shoes. In addition, long hair must be pulled back.
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Sunnyside has a NICU department and occasionally has need of a baby rocker. These positions are volunteer and on-call. If you are interested, please contact us.
More Information
While our team is made up of many volunteers,
it is managed by our manager and coordinator who are committed to bringing excellence to member care experience at Sunnyside Medical Center.
Our team is available to answer and questions you may have about the Sunnyside Medical Center Volunteer Program and the volunteer application process. For more information, you can call us at (503) 571-4155.