Hundreds of medical students formed a volunteer network in Minnesota to help healthcare workers with any personal needs, like child care or grocery shopping, reports STAT.
The group, known as MN Covidsitters, includes more than 350 volunteers who are matched with a healthcare professional based on various factors, including location and the employee's specific needs. So far, the group has offered support to several hundred healthcare workers, including physicians, custodians and cafeteria cooks.
The effort has inspired medical students nationwide to launch similar efforts. Students from Boston-based Harvard Medical School and New York City-based New York University have contacted the Minnesota group to form national partnerships or get advice about how to start their own volunteer network.
The group is also developing an app to help match volunteers with employees