Christopher Auerbach-Brown is the Volunteer Coordinator at University Hospitals' Seidman Cancer Center. Chris joined FVA in 2020 shortly after he began his role at UH because he loves the networking opportunities that FVA provides. Last year he extended his commitment with FVA by serving on the Professional Resources committee where he is able to utilize his event planning skills. Next year Chris will serve as Chair of the committee on the FVA Board of Trustees.

 

In Chris' role at Seidman Cancer Center, he manages volunteers in a plethora of non-clinical support roles that support patients, families and staff. Chris shares that his favorite part of his job is seeing volunteers help patients by showing kindness and empathy towards them. Chris also manages the Wayfinding program at UH that helps visitors and patients find their way around Main Campus in University Circle. The Wayfinding program is a great example of volunteers that assist patients at a time when they really need it. Chris defines a successful volunteer as one that, "has a great attitude towards volunteers, one who wants to help in whatever way they can and one who understands their responsibilities thoroughly and needs little supervision."

 

When asked what advice Chris would give to someone interested in the field of volunteer management, Chris shares, "Join groups like FVA and take advantage of networking and professional development opportunities whenever possible. I would also consider taking the CVA exam as this gives you a professional certification in volunteer management."

 

Chris lives in Cleveland Heights with his family and is a talented musician. In fact, Chris shared that he is a synesthete, which means that he sees colors in his mind when he hears music (officially a chromasthete). Sometimes they pop in front of him too. Cool!

 

For more than 155 years, University Hospitals has been on a mission to heal, teach and discover. As a renowned academic medical center and community hospital network, they’ve expanded across Northeast Ohio to deliver what matters most to their patients: personalized, compassionate care; medical discovery and breakthroughs; and high-quality, affordable care close to home. To learn more about the volunteer opportunities available at Seidman Cancer Center, please visit https://www.uhhospitals.org/locations/uh-cleveland-medical-center/volunteer-services.