Patient advocate volunteers needed at UF Small Animal Hospital

Many hands make light work, but more hands are needed.

The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital's Client Advocate program, which began in 2006, has brought new faces — as well as helpful hands — to the client services area, but the hospital is actively seeking additional volunteers.

Volunteers are expected to work four hours a week and schedules are negotiable. The duties include greeting clients and welcoming visitors at the door, directing them to the check-in area, and providing an extra set of arms to hold an animal while the client signs in or a pet is being discharged. The volunteer advocates also serve as liaisons between hospital clients, veterinary students and clinicians.

The program so far has involved a handful of volunteers from the Oak Hammock community and a few others in the community. The goal is to enhance the overall client service in the hospital.

UF will begin construction of a state-of-the-art, $57 million new small animal hospital this fall.

"We currently have five great volunteers but would like to have as many as 15 when we begin construction of our new hospital," said Colin Burrows, B.Vet.Med., Ph.D., chairman of UF's department of small animal clinical sciences and chief of staff of the small animal hospital. "Our volunteers are valued members of our client service team. We just wish we had more of them."

Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Carol Ash, client advocate coordinator, via e-mail at ashc@vetmed.ufl.edu or by phone at 352-373-6345.