Telephone Committee Guidelines & Tips
Members of the Telephone Committee should remember:
- An online telephone volunteer website is available at http://bit.ly/3P9NQh. This website offers resources such as referral information and phone scenarios. Please bookmark this page for future reference.
- If a staff member calls and leaves a message regarding a match, please return the call promptly and let us know if you are able to make the match. This will help us be more efficient and reduce the match time. Our goal is to complete each match within 48 hours.
- If you are asked to make a long distance call, an AT&T calling card number and instructions for use will be available to your for initial contact only.
- Please use your personal judgment in offering your phone number, email address, mailing address, etc. to caller.
- Do not give medical advice. Often patients need to make a decision regarding their own treatment and talking with "someone who has been there" eases their uncertainty.
- Please let staff know if you have any changes in your address, phone numbers, diagnosis or treatment.
- The number of calls each volunteer makes depends on the requests staff receive and the appropriateness of a match.
- If you have any questions or comments about the call, please contact the Anderson Network office. This can be done two ways:
- E-mail the staff person that made the match at: andersonnetwork@mdanderson.org
- Contact the staff person that made the match by calling the Network office at: 713-792-2553 or 1-800-345-6324