Here at UF, we have learned that AIM Together residencies take a coordinated team effort. The partners work together ahead of time to plan the events, and on residency days, a team of ten to twelve staff and volunteers is assembled to assist with set-up, patients and other audience members, sound, artists, release forms, evaluations, and unexpected needs. We organize the team as follows on performance days:

Presenter Coordinator

1. Handles transportation and timing of artists
2. Communicates with healthcare coordinator
3. Coordinates press as necessary

Healthcare Coordinator

1. Plans/stages all events and assesses volunteer needs
2. Ahead of time/day of: Schedules volunteers and notifies or meets with all necessary hospital personal/departments. This typically includes volunteer services, Public Relations, Safety and Security, and if pediatric patients are involved, Child Life.
3. Meets with the team of volunteers, hands out printed list of timing/tasks, reviews plan.
4. Oversees all timing and volunteers during events

Evaluation and Photo Release Coordinator

1. Responsible for copying release forms and evaluation forms, setting up clip boards for volunteers, scheduling and directing volunteers in administering forms
2. Responsible for collecting all completed forms from volunteers, making copies of release forms as necessary for the PR department, filing original release forms, and for creating a report of evaluation results
3. Responsible for keeping track of patients who do and do not sign photo release forms and for communicating this information to photographers

6-8 Volunteers to obtain consents and evaluations

1. Obtain permission and signed consent from patients for photos
2. Administer evaluation forms immediately following events
3. Note: The key to successful program evaluation is to have enough volunteers to administer to assist patients and audience members in filling out forms immediately following events. Placing forms on chairs and asking people to fill them out and leave them will not work.

2-3 Volunteers to set-up and clean up performance areas and to assist with patients’ needs

2-3 Volunteers to assist the coordinators as needed with needs that arise during the events

If working with or as a solo artist, be sensitive to the number of volunteers with you in the smaller spaces. In a larger public space, the volunteers can disperse throughout the space. However, on smaller floors or intimate bedside visits, a large group of people is unnecessary and can be threatening to the patient.