Volunteer information for the Ithaca Health Alliance

The Ithaca Health Alliance is primarily a volunteer organization. We have a small staff of three employees who are responsible for day-to-day operations, and everything else the organization does is thanks to volunteer effort. Our board of directors are all volunteers. Ithaca Free Clinic is staffed by volunteers, for both administrative work and healthcare services. All of our planning work and our projects happen in large part because of volunteer work. If you are reading this, be assured that we can use your help!

The IHA seeks candidates for the 2008 election of our board of directors. All board members must be members of the Ithaca Health Alliance and all members are eligible to vote for these positions. We ask candidates to submit a statement of candidacy of 150 words or less, which addresses the questions
--Why are you interested in service with our board?
--What talents and experiences would you bring to our board?
Statements can be emailed to our office manager at office@ithacahealth.org or sent by post to Ithaca Health Alliance attn: board elections, PO Box 362, Ithaca, NY 14851.

All prospective volunteers are asked to fill out the Ithaca Health Alliance volunteer application to provide us with information about how to get ahold of you and let us know about your areas of interest. All volunteers are also required to read, agree to abide by, and sign our Code of Conduct. Both of these forms are available for download by clicking the links above where each are named. If you are a healthcare professional interested in volunteering at Ithaca Free Clinic, we will require a copy of your current licensure and certifications for your volunteer file before you begin providing care at IFC. We will ask for professional references and you may be asked to speak with our Medical Director, or Holistic Medicine Director, prior to your first shift as well.

After you complete your volunteer application and sign the code of conduct, these can be mailed to: Ithaca Health Alliance, Attn: Jim Goodreau, PO Box 362, Ithaca, NY 14851. You can email your information to clinic@ithacahealth.org. Once your application has been received, we will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

A lot of useful information is presented in the Welcome Packet for IHA volunteers. We encourage you to download this document and read through it. This will help to answer many of the questions typically asked by people as they get oriented to their new roles within IHA.

Thomas Hoebbel Photography

Who are we looking for? Anyone who feels they have something they can offer. We need volunteers for every service session at Ithaca Free Clinic. In addition to physicians and other practitioners to staff the clinic, we need volunteers to help with the operation of the facility. Each open session of the free clinic is 4 hours time. We are looking for people who can volunteer for one shift monthly or bimonthly. On a typical open day at IFC, we need two or more volunteers for reception and follow-up scheduling, and providers who handle clinical care - nurses, doctors, and alternative medicine providers. Clinic volunteers are not limited to open hours - if you can volunteer at other times to help with paperwork, keeping the space clean, or other tasks we can also use the help!

We also need volunteers for all of our committee projects. Some possibilities include:

Clinic Operations Committee The role of the clinic operations committee is to assist the clinic coordinator in program oversight and development of the Ithaca Free Clinic. Clinic committee members are available to participate in grant writing projects, develop clinic policies and procedures, and discover community talent and resources.

Development Committee The development committee works to ensure the financial health of the IHA and its programs by seeking grant and donor opportunities. It is the lead fundraising branch of the IHA. It seeks and applies for grants, organizes events, builds a network of support, and builds partnerships with other organizations in our community. The development committee works closely with the community relations and finance committees. The development committee also includes task teams working on exploring the feasibility and necessary components of possible new projects of the Health Alliance.

Finance Committee The treasurer of the board of directors is a member of this committee. The finance committee works with the other committees to ensure the IHA remains financially healthy and responsible. The IHA fiscal year runs from January 1 through December 31. The IHA is funded through a mixture of grants, donations, and member dues. Each committee chair works with the finance committee to develop a budget for the following fiscal year. Proposed budgets are due to the board for review and vote by autumn of the year preceding the fiscal year in question. The finance committee makes recommendations to the board about financial approval of committee budgets.

The finance committee manages the Ithaca Health Fund program. The Health Fund was established to provide financial assistance to members seeking preventive and emergency medical care. The Fund member-grants program consists of preventive care rebates and emergency health expense grants. This program has grown to include interest-free loans and grants to other organizations conducting health programs as well. In the event that a member appeals denial of a grant, the appeal is reviewed by the finance committee based on the guidelines established by the Board.

Community Relations Committee This committee is responsible for public relations and encouraging all types of memberships in the IHA. This happens through a variety of outreach methods, including educational events and materials, presence at community events, and public relations materials and newsletters, for example.

This committee also sponsors educational programming for our members and the general public. Informal classes, lectures, and guest speakers are offered on a regular basis. We offer a library of books, videos, and other resources, which everyone is welcome to browse through or borrow from. We network with experts in all fields of health in order to help our neighbors learn about the wealth of health options available.

The community relations committee is also responsible for building relationships and partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations.