[Hospital Men Volunteers]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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OCD Publication 5012
October 1943
Joint Statement by the United States Office of Civilian Defense and the American Hospital Association
To Hospital Administrators • • •
MEN VOLUNTEERS: A Promising Solution to a Serious Problem
The universal shortage of male hospital personnel is being solved in some hospitals by using men from all walks of life—businessmen, laborers, white-collar workers—to do volunteer work as orderlies, laboratory assistants, and kitchen, laundry, and maintenance workers.
These men volunteers assist in the care of hospital patients and property as well as in maintenance work and plant operation. As a patriotic war service, they give the prescribed amount of time to meet urgent hospital needs. In several places they are now being trained for their jobs by the hospitals and are wearing a distinctive coat with insigne.
This development is a most promising one. If it is properly utilized by hospitals, it may eliminate the shutting down of wards and services because of lack of male personnel at the very time when the need is at its peak.
The local Defense Councils through their Civilian Defense Volunteer Offices stand ready to assist the hospital administrators in publicizing the needs of the hospitals and in recruiting men volunteers. The hospital administrators will be free to select those persons whom they regard as suitable for this work and to give them whatever training they deem necessary for the job. Services of these volunteers are supervised by the regular hospital administrative personnel.
How to Organize to Use Hospital Men Volunteers:
If you need Men Volunteers, it is best to have a definite plan of organization, like the following:
i.	Determine what tasks Men Volunteers could take over.—This can be done by the administrator in consultation with department heads. Each department will assume the responsibility for necessary training on the job after a period of orientation. An outline of suggestions for training will be sent to you at a later date.
2.	Determine what rearrangements of the work schedule of the male employees of the hospital can be made so that men volunteers can be used.—Certain activities might be concentrated during the evening and night shifts when the men volunteers are most likely to be available.
3« Get the assistance of the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office of the local Defense Council in recruiting the necessary number of men volunteers.—The Volunteer Office will canvas the sources of supply; appeal to the public through press and radio; arrange for speakers to recruit men at various organizations such as ministerial associations, church groups, fraternal organizations, labor organizations, civic and service clubs. The Volunteer Office will explain the need and the nature of the work to applicants, and will send to the hospitals only those who appear interested and qualified. The Volunteer Office will keep in touch with hospitals to determine whether they are satisfied and whether replacements are needed. In smaller communities the organization will be less formal but there will be a close working relationship between the hospitals and the local Defense Council.
4.	Make arrangements within the hospital for proper selection, training, organization, and supervision of the men volunteers.—Effective supervision requires a director who may himself be a volunteer. The choice of an effective director of volunteers, whether he be an existing member of the administrative staff or a volunteer, is most important. The director should be responsible for selecting the volunteers and for scheduling them. Special attention should be given to orientation of the volunteers in the traditions, ethics, policies, procedures, and physical layout of the hospital. It is desirable to have an official uniform, grey twill coat of three-quarter length with a “cVd” sleeve insigne*, and to provide adequate locker space and other accommodations.
Health and Medical Committees:
The War Services Board of the local Defense Council will gladly ask the Health and Medical Committee on which hospital administrators are represented to ascertain the extent of the manpower problem. A special subcommittee of the Health and Medical Committee may be appointed to do this work, consisting of representatives of the principal hospitals, the Volunteer Office, and the Publicity Committee of the Defense Council. This committee should work with the hospital administrators and the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office in surveying and solving shortages of manpower which can be relieved by the use of Hospital Men Volunteers. It should also approve all local publicity issued by the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office.
* Official insigne of the Citizens Service Corps of the OCD.
Cooperation of A. H. A. and O. C. D.
Since the problem is Nation-wide, the American Hospital Association and the United States Office of Civilian Defense are cooperating to draw public attention to this solution of the problem and to secure recruitment and use of Hospital Men Volunteers.
Examples:
What Two Hospitals Have Already Done:
Problem : A large hospital had 3 7 out of 40 orderlies and other male employees drafted and no men were available for replacement on the labor market. Solution : Men Volunteers—the hospital now has 150, each of whom gives a 4-hour period of work per week in some department. A group of these volunteers is on hand at all hours, day or night. They report to one desk where a worker is in charge at all hours and where assignments and checking in and out are done according to a fixed schedule.
Problem: A 100-bed hospital with a continuously high census was unable to replace 3 men in the laundry and 4 men in the kitchen. The critical situation has been greatly relieved by securing Hospital Men Volunteers who work in the laundry from 4 to 7 p. m. and in the kitchen at various 4-hour periods.
Uniform and Insignia
It is recommended that a standard uniform of a grey coat of three-quarter length be adopted. Hospital Men Volunteers or hospitals can order uniforms direct from local stores, or ask State or local Defense Councils to place orders for them. The insigne for the sleeve should be the United States Citizens Service Corps cVd (2%. inches in diameter). These can be secured through local Defense Councils.
V. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE	16—35261-1