Giving to UMHS
There are many ways you can give back when it comes to health care:
- Volunteer
- Participate in a Clinical Trial
- Sign up to be an organ or tissue donor
- Make a financial donation
Volunteer
Hundreds of volunteers work each week to support patients, visitors and staff throughout the University of Michigan Health System. Their gracious and caring services add a unique and personal dimension to patient care. Volunteers can be seen helping customers in our FRIENDS Gift Shops, visiting with patients and families in the clinics, or delivering meals to the homebound in our community.
Volunteers are valued members of the Health System team who serve our Hospitals 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with most volunteers contributing two to four hours each week.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. If you are interested in learning about ways in which your interests can be matched to needed services, please call Volunteer Services at 734-936-4327.
Clinical Trials
- Engage: The University of Michigan Health System Web Portal for Clinical Research. In addition to a searchable database of UM clinical trials that includes eligibility criteria and contact information, the Engage web site explains what clinical research is all about, why you might want to volunteer, and how your health and safety are protected if you take part in a study.
- U-M School of Dentistry - Michigan Center for Oral Health Research
- U-M Studies listed in ClinicalTrials.gov: This site provides information on U-M clinical trials that are federally supported. You leave the UMHS website when you click on this link.
Info resources:
- What you need to know about clinical trials (National Institutes of Health)
- Protection of Research Participants (Institutional Review Boards of the University of Michigan Medical School)
- Human Volunteers in Research: Information for the Community (Information about research policies and procedures at the University of Michigan.)
Organ & Tissue Donation
Organ transplantation may be the only successful treatment for patients suffering from end-stage disease of the kidneys, heart, lung, liver, pancreas or intestines. Transplants of tissues such as cornea, skin, veins, bone, and heart valves are performed to treat a wide range of medical problems. Unfortunately, such transplants are only possible following an organ and tissue donation.
Although advances have been made in awareness, legislation and medicine, the current demand for transplants significantly surpasses the number of organ donations. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) that manages the national transplant waiting list, reports there are currently more than 96,000 patients awaiting a transplant in the United States. UNOS data also shows that 6,735 people died while waiting for a transplant in 2006.
Locally you can contact the Transplant Society of Michigan toll-free at 1-800-482-4881 with questions regarding organ and tissue donation, or, nationally call toll-free, 1-800-355-SHARE
Financial Donations
Private support enables clinicians and scientists to advance all aspects of diagnosis, patient care and disease prevention. Many of our innovative programs depend on gifts from individuals who understand the need to support this important work. The Health System seeks funds to further our mission of medical research, medical education and patient care. You may wish to make a gift in memory of someone, in your own name, or to honor a relative or colleague. Your gift will make a difference in the lives of many patients and families we serve.
To learn more about supporting the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers call the Office of Medical Development and Alumni Relations at 734-998-7705 or to visit us online.
