Louisiana Volunteers in Action (LAVA) is Louisiana’s approach to the federally mandated Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) Program. The ESAR-VHP Program helps states to develop standardized programs for registering volunteer health professionals in advance of an emergency or disaster. LAVA is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health and Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement.
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) created LAVA in response to the tens of thousands of individuals who were ready and willing to help after the September 11th terrorist attacks (2001) and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005). LAVA provides a systematic way of coordinating volunteer efforts during an emergency with a special emphasis on advanced credential verification and deployment based on skill set. It ensures that Louisiana has a competent volunteer workforce that is ready for deployment.
Under the direction of LDH’s Volunteer Management Program (located at the Bureau of Community Preparedness), volunteers deploy when needed. LAVA seeks professionals in the medical field, as well as professionals with other skill sets that are helpful in the event of an emergency. Any resident of the state of Louisiana, age 18 or older, is eligible to register as a volunteer through LAVA (https://www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov). You can select the Louisiana Dental Association as your group.
The LDA’s Mass Disaster team will be encouraged to register with LAVA, therefore if any other members also want to join, feel free to do so. If called upon, it is up to the volunteer to choose whether they come out and volunteer.
