The Rural & Isolated Support Endeavour (RISE) is a student-run phone support program of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada’s Student Committee with the goal of emotionally supporting clients who live in rural areas across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative partners medical students with clients in rural communities to provide emotional support and companionship via weekly phone/video-call check-ins.

To participate, clients may either ask a health care provider for a referral or self-refer by emailing rise.srpc@gmail.com [9]. Referring health care professionals are asked to complete a Health Care Professional Referral Form, available at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=k4Q9PgRss0Oo4FCyzB1I46LKDEK477NHvi6B76jhP9dUMU9EOUEyN1ZUSDM2VzVSWUpPN0hOQzU0RS4u [10]. Once completed, the submitted form will be available to a volunteer communication and matching lead, who will then match a volunteer with a client. Clients will also be asked to complete a client intake form. Clients must be over 18 years of age to participate.

More information is available in a physician handout, online at https://bit.ly/33V3qg6 [11]. RISE is modeled after the Student-Senior Isolation Prevention Partnership with permission.