As part of its commitment to sustainable community health, the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing empowers students to take their knowledge beyond the classroom and into underserved communities. In a recent initiative, over 30 senior nursing students organized an open health fair at Byblos High School, addressing pressing health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer, bullying, and burn care. Setting up interactive booths, free screenings, and direct engagement, the students provided vital health education and preventive services to individuals of all ages. Through their proactive approach to health promotion and preventive healthcare, community nurses also considerably ease the strain on the healthcare system by empowering communities through education to promote a culture of wellbeing and prevent illnesses, thus reducing their financial burden.

In times of national crisis, the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing mobilizes its students and faculty to respond swiftly and compassionately. Created to address the healthcare challenges of COVID-19, the LAU Mobile Clinic remains an active patient service initiative. This service was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering free PCR tests, vaccines, and health consultations to underserved populations, ensuring continuity of care during lockdowns and is continuously serving population in underserved areas, rural areas with limited access to care.

More recently, the clinics were deployed to support Lebanon’s displaced in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health’s assigned primary healthcare provider—the Beirut Association for Social Development (BASD)–Health Sector— and as part of the university’s Emergency Relief for Lebanon, teams from the LAU Medical Center–Rizk Hospital, the LAU Medical Center–Saint John’s Hospital, LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, LAU Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, and LAU School of Pharmacy. This initiative had several missions to provide essential primary care services, screenings, and dispense medications to those in need. Primary care services and awareness sessions were provided to the displaced community as well as family care hygiene kits and first aid kits. 

In another community initiative, Under faculty guidance and in collaboration with Roumieh Health Committee and the LAU Mobile Clinic third-year nursing students took the lead in organizing and managing health education stations, developing educational materials, designing interactive activities, and ensuring that the information provided was both accurate and accessible, all of which exemplified how nurses serve as catalysts for community wellbeing, prevention and lasting impact.