Louisiana Student Volunteer Initiative

Led by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division, an initiative launched between universities and colleges across Louisiana mobilizes students as volunteers. The goal is to ease the burden on the stretched, critically thin healthcare system and provide some relief to healthcare workers. Voluntary organizations across the state will begin to see the same demand for their services escalate. Students from across Louisiana universities and colleges are our force multiplier—our weapon in the fight against COVID-19.

During the height of the pandemic, students and professionals with backgrounds in virtually all areas of health care registered to volunteer. Those with backgrounds in all areas of health care, including medicine, nursing, allied health professions, laboratory technology, radiology, public health, epidemiology, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, counseling, mental/behavioral health, and laboratory science, are registered to volunteer.

Students and professionals with academic training in non-healthcare disciplines such as logistics, communications, marketing, business, management of social media, social services, community engagement, data sciences, computer science, and technology assistance have signed up to triage phone calls, coordinate volunteers, and provide logistical support or technology assistance.