Measuring Volunteer Satisfaction in Healthcare Navigation
- Roseanna Galindo, CCBA, CAVS
- Aug 11
- 4 min read
Volunteers have long been the human touch in healthcare offering presence, comfort, and a kind word when it’s needed most. But increasingly, they’re also being positioned as strategic assets within our health systems.
A newly published study supported by the American Cancer Society (ACS) brings this into sharper focus by asking a question that often gets overlooked: What happens when we expand the role of volunteers and measure their satisfaction with the same rigor we apply to clinical programs?
The ACS CARES program (Community Access to Resources, Education, and Support) is a bold national pilot that trains student volunteers to serve as non-clinical patient navigators in cancer care. This innovative model helps close critical gaps in support, particularly for patients dealing with complex systems, social determinants of health, and high levels of distress.
But what makes the study stand out isn’t just the navigation model, it’s that volunteer satisfaction is a central part of the evaluation. And the tool they’ve chosen? The Volunteer Satisfaction Index (VSI).Â
A Smart Strategy to Expand Capacity
Patient navigation is no longer a nice-to-have for oncology support. Accrediting bodies and payment models alike now recognize its role in improving access, communication, and coordination. But scaling it remains a challenge. Clinical navigators are limited by staffing and budget constraints, and many organizations struggle to meet the need.
Led by researcher Dr. Gabrielle Roque, a January 2025 BMJ article sets the stage for evaluating the implementation and impact of a volunteer-based oncology support.
Enter the CARES model. By training community volunteers to handle non-clinical support tasks—things like follow-ups, resource connection, and distress screening—health systems can extend the reach of their navigation programs while freeing licensed staff to work at the top of their scope.
The pilot described in the paper is underway in three large academic medical centers, and while the clinical outcomes are important, so too is the broader organizational takeaway: volunteers can be strategically embedded into hospital care processes if we treat their roles—and their experiences—seriously.
Implementation Meets Insight
The ACS study uses a hybrid research design to evaluate both how the program is implemented and what outcomes it produces. It’s a pragmatic, real-world approach that prioritizes feasibility, scalability, and long-term sustainability. It also models something many healthcare volunteer programs could benefit from: alignment with hospital strategy and a commitment to data-informed decisions.
That commitment shows up in how the program tracks not just patient outcomes and utilization, but also the volunteer experience. The study collects detailed metrics on training completion, shift activity, referrals, and... volunteer satisfaction—and that’s where the Volunteer Satisfaction Index comes in.
Measuring Volunteer Satisfaction in Healthcare
Too often, volunteer satisfaction is an afterthought, loosely captured by anecdotes or vague sentiments. But retention, engagement, and impact all hinge on whether volunteers feel supported, capable, connected, and empowered. The Volunteer Satisfaction Index survey questions were built to measure those very things. And that’s exactly why it’s included in this national study. The VSI is a reliable and valid measure of volunteer experience.
The VSI offers a structured way to assess how volunteers perceive their role within the organization, across four dimensions:
Organizational Support: Do they feel valued and equipped?
Participation Efficacy: Do they believe their work makes a difference?
Empowerment: Are they trusted to act with some degree of autonomy?
Group Integration: Do they feel like part of a team?
This data matters. Volunteers who feel aligned and appreciated are more likely to stay, grow in their role, and contribute to a strong care environment. And when healthcare leaders have visibility into the volunteer experience, they can better align support structures, training, and program design for mutual success.
Why This Matters to You
If you’re a hospital executive, patient experience officer, or director of volunteer services, the implications are clear: volunteer integration is no longer just a service department initiative. It must be part of a larger strategy.
Measuring volunteer satisfaction in healthcare initiatives of which they are a part, is a way to help correlate that to other experience outcomes. Volunteer programs can be leveraged to improve patient navigation, reduce staff burden, and strengthen community trust. But to do that well, you need more than just willing hands. You need a data strategy that measures not only outcomes, but the impact of activity itself on the volunteer labor providing it.
That means tracking outcomes, yes, but also measuring the volunteer experience in meaningful ways. And then using volunteer satisfaction data in program operations. The ACS study shows that you don’t have to wait for a full-blown clinical trial to start doing this. You can adopt tools like the Volunteer Satisfaction Index today, using the results to strengthen your case for resources, improve retention, and shape programs that deliver both compassion and impact.
Learn more about the VSI by visiting www.PeriscopeBPA.com.
Final Thoughts: Culture, Capacity, and Credibility
This study affirms what many of us in healthcare volunteer leadership have known for years: when volunteers are supported well and treated as significant members of the care team, they don’t just fill gaps - they expand possibilities.
As we move toward more data-informed operations in healthcare, volunteer services must be part of that conversation. Whether you’re building a case for investment, piloting a new volunteer program, or preparing for a strategic plan, understanding your volunteer satisfaction is not optional. It’s foundational.
And now, thanks to this national initiative, we have even more evidence, and a blueprint, for doing just that.
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Roseanna Galindo is Principal at Periscope Business Process Analysis, specializing in organizational learning and development. She is dedicated to advancing data literacy, enhancing healthcare experiences, and empowering nonprofit leaders.
Explore Roseanna’s expertise and insights on her blog, The Periscope Insighter, starting with the opening post.
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Roseanna offers a range of professional development services, including training workshops, keynote speaking, and executive coaching.
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