As COVID-19 continues to spread, the U.S. healthcare system is experiencing unprecedented demand, leaving medical providers overwhelmed and exhausted. And because of the influx of COVID-19 patients, others not suffering from the novel coronavirus but still in need of care are finding it challenging to find the care they need in a timely manner.

To help with this challenge, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is supporting a new initiative launched by nonprofit consortium Volunteer Surge, Inc., to recruit, train, and deploy 1 million volunteer health workers. The initiative will offer communities across the U.S. volunteer support so doctors and nurses can focus on tending to the most critical needs. To become trained, volunteers will complete an approximately 30-hour, fully-online Community Health Worker Course developed by Cinematic Health Education in consultation with the Yale School of Public Health. AWS is powering the virtual learning platform to train volunteers before they head into the field.

Volunteer responsibilities can include staffing drive-through test sites, providing telephone health support to home bound seniors, supporting those with intellectual disabilities, or taking vital signs in tent triage care centers. Some will also perform triage care for cases unrelated to COVID-19.

“At AWS, we’re committed to bringing the power of the cloud to help virtually train volunteer health workers as part of this important initiative,” said Dave Levy, Vice President, U.S. Government and Nonprofits, Worldwide Public Sector at AWS. “We’re proud to support Volunteer Surge’s critical work, which will provide relief for doctors and nurses who are working tirelessly to combat the COVID-19 virus.”

Learn more.