The Volunteer Services Department of LAC+USC Medical Center serves a medical centerwide volunteer program.

The Director of Volunteer Services has worked in collaboration with many hospital administrators, who have recognized the value of ancillary services, to create and operate a viable patient service delivery component for General Hospital.

In an effort to meet the needs of the predominately economically disadvantaged patient population of General Hospital, many special programs have been established to help provide patients with services.

Because of the varied backgrounds of patients, an emphasis has been placed on meeting the needs of the culturally diverse patient population. Volunteers come from many different cultural backgrounds and speak a variety of languages. Each of these volunteers contributes significantly to the improvement of the environment of care for the patients receiving medical treatment.

The size and complexity of the student volunteer programs are vast: Health Career Junior Volunteers (Candy Striper Volunteers), MED COR, Regional Occupational Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine CMV, Clinical and Research Laboratory, Occupational Therapy and Edmondson Fellowship. In June of 2005, 550 new volunteers were processed and are currently serving the staff and patients.