Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at UPMC. We are currently not accepting volunteer applications. Please check back in January 2025 for volunteer opportunities. We apologize for any inconvenience.

All UPMC Hillman Cancer Center volunteers must be 18 years of age.

Patient and Family Support

Nurses, physicians, and social workers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center treat the person, not just the disease. In this same spirit, volunteers help improve the quality of life for patients and their families by helping nurses and medical assistants with their duties and visiting with patients and their families.

Below are examples of patient and family volunteer opportunities at many of our UPMC Hillman Cancer Center locations.

Greeting patients and visitors
Offering guidance and directions to patients and visitors
Delivering lunches/snacks to patients
Assisting patients and visitors at various reception desks
Making courtesy calls to new patients
Offering patients donated comfort items
Preparing patient information packets

As a volunteer in the area of Patient and Family Support, you can volunteer Monday through Friday during business hours. Evening and weekend opportunities are not available in our facility.

This program encourages a minimum of four hours of service a week.

Pet Therapy

Pet therapy helps people cope with health problems, reduce their stress and improve their mood and energy levels while providing a sense of companionship. Here at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, we have a Pet Therapy Program that allows a certified therapy dog to visit with patients and their families in the outpatient clinics. Pet therapy teams are limited to a 2 hour maximum visit.

Learn more about the benefits of Pet Therapy from UPMC HealthBeat »

Healing Power of the Arts

If you are an amateur artist of any kind — a musician, painter, writer, etc. — you can help provide patients with a means for self-expression and diversion. In this program, volunteers play music, create arts and crafts, read poetry, and much more to offer comfort and a creative outlet to patients and families during a difficult time.

Laboratory Research

Each day, researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center are taking important steps to increase our understanding of cancer and are testing the newest, most advanced treatments to cure it. Volunteers who have an interest in research and medicine have an opportunity to assist researchers with a variety of tasks.

Duties include:

Application Information

We accept applications for lab volunteers during the following dates:

November 15 through November 30
March 15 through March 30
July 15 through July 30

To be considered for placement in a research lab:

Complete and submit the lab placement profile and attach your resume.

Contact UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Volunteer Services

Volunteer Coordinator — 412-623-4636
Director, Volunteer & Guest Services — 412-623-3478
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center — 412-623-4000
hccvolunteer@upmc.edu

UPMC Volunteer Services

Learn more about UPMC Volunteer Services at our other locations or view Frequently Asked Volunteer Questions.