Medical Reserve Corps - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a network in the U.S. of community-based units initiated and established by local organizations to meet the public health

Public health

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...

needs of their communities. It is sponsored by the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States. The MRC consists of medical and non-medical volunteers who contribute to local health initiatives, such as activities meeting the Surgeon General’s http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/ priorities for public health, and supplement existing response capabilities in time of emergency. The MRC provides the structure necessary to pre-identify, credential, train, and activate medical and public health volunteers. In the fall of 2007 the name was modified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services

United States Department of Health and Human Services

The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...

office to read "Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps".

As of February 16, 2010, there were 878 local MRC units and more than 200,000 volunteers. MRC units are present in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Why the MRC was established

The events of September 11, 2001, underscored a need for a mechanism to better utilize volunteer medical and public health professionals. Medical providers who wanted to help alleviate the strain on local medical systems where the terror incidents occurred arrived on their own and at personal risk. Despite their intentions, their presence became problematic for emergency managers due to difficulties that arose surrounding the use of spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers.

Some of these issues included volunteer credentialing, liability, and management.

Credentialing—Credentialing is a process by which volunteers’ degrees, certificates, licenses, and training are verified. September 11, 2001 demonstrated that it was difficult or impossible to verify volunteers’ licenses and professional qualifications when the emergency management system was overloaded or shut down.
Liability—Questions that arose surrounding liability included:
- Who would provide legal protection for volunteers, many of whom had come from other areas of the country?
- What should occur if the volunteers were injured?
- How would they be treated or compensated?
- Who would manage and supervise the volunteers?
Management—Ultimately, most volunteers were turned away because emergency and local medical managers with limited resources, focused on emergency response, and accounting for their own personnel were unequipped to handle spontaneous volunteers.

Subsequent emergency situations, such as the anthrax mailings in October 2001 further highlighted the need for an organized volunteer response system. Federal, state, and local response assets were able to provide prophylactic doses of antibiotics to thousands of individuals who may have been exposed to anthrax spores. Leaders quickly realized, however, that they would have been overwhelmed if the number of individuals at risk was much larger. Point of distribution sites would need more workers, including many more health professionals.

Lessons-learned sessions and after-action reports from the response to September 11, 2001 and the anthrax mailings discussed the need for a more organized approach to catastrophic disasters. They also identified many of the issues that needed to be addressed, including volunteer pre-identification, registration, credentialing, training, liability, and activation.

Affiliations

The MRC was founded after President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country. The MRC is a partner program of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Peace Corps, are part of the President’s USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service nationwide.

The MRC also has a cooperative agreement with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). This agreement enables NACCHO to assist the Office of the Surgeon General's Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps in enhancing MRC units' ability to meet local, state, and national needs through collaboration, coordination, and capacity-building activities. These activities include:

Coordinating the distribtuion of grant funding

Developing a national marketing strategy

Publishing a quarterly national newsletter

Assisting in the planning of regional and national meetings

Developing materials, resources, and tools to strengthen the knowledge and skills of MRC members

In addition, NACCHO's relationship with almost 3,000 local health departments further serves as an avenue to promote the MRC program at the local level.

How communities understand the MRC

Differences among communities may require alternative approaches to responding to natural disasters and emergencies. The terms medical and reserve indicate that trained personnel are available to respond to emergencies requiring support to the community’s health and medical resources. Corps refers to an organized body of individuals with a similar function, consistent with the example of Citizen Corps and the USA Freedom Corps.

Despite differences among communities, all communities can benefit from the MRC. Many MRC units have found that the medical in Medical Reserve Corps should not limit them to recruiting only medical professionals. MRC units nationwide have determined a need for volunteers with various professional backgrounds to meet the health needs of their local communities. These include but are not limited to chaplains, to assist with mental health activities; attorneys, to assist with addressing issues of liability; and IT personnel, to assist with database management.

Local and national organization

Locally, each MRC unit is led by an MRC Unit Director and/or Coordinator, who matches community needs with volunteer capabilities. Local MRC leaders are also responsible for building partnerships, ensuring the sustainability of the local unit, and managing resources. Partnerships typically include local public health and emergency response agencies, community businesses, and neighboring MRC's. Local MRC units are typically housed under Health Departments or other local governmental organizations.

Nationally, the MRC is guided by the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (also known as the MRC Program Office), which is housed in the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. The MRC Program Office serves as a clearinghouse for information and best practices to help communities establish, implement, and maintain MRC units nationwide. It sponsors an annual leadership conference, hosts a Web site, and coordinates with local, state, regional, and national organizations and agencies to help communities' preparedness. There are also Regional Coordinators (RCs) in all ten of the Department of Health and Human Services regions.

Many states have appointed State MRC Coordinators to help plan, organize and integrate MRC activities within the State. The MRC Program Office staff and the RCs collaborate with the State Coordinators to better integrate with local and state planning and response activities. All local MRC units are encouraged to collaborate with State Coordinators.

Local benefits

There are several benefits to establishing an MRC unit, as it:

bolsters public health and emergency response infrastructures by providing supplemental personnel
enables the community to meet specific health needs
allows the local community more autonomy and less dependence on state and national resources
provides community members with the opportunity to participate in developing strategies
provides mechanisms for information sharing and coordination among all partner organizations
provides dialogue between emergency management and public health agencies
allows for national recognition of local public health and emergency response efforts

Starting a local unit

To start an MRC unit, first determine if there is a unit in your local area. A list of the MRC units, their locations, and contact information is available on the Find MRC Units page of the MRC Web site. If you are unable to find an MRC unit in your area, contact your region’s MRC RC or your state’s MRC State Coordinator for information on other MRC units in your area.
If there is no MRC unit in your area, you can start one. Each community is different, so its approach to establishing an MRC unit will be different.

Establishing an MRC unit consists of:

Reading and understanding the general guidelines — Guidelines that address many key issues in establishing an MRC unit. Two tools are Getting Started: A Guide for Local Leaders (PDF 864 KB) and the Technical Assistance Series.
Registering the new MRC unit with the MRC Program Office — Registering allows MRC units to request technical assistance from the MRC National Program Office, apply for use of the official MRC logo, and be included in national MRC conferences. Registered units also are officially recognized as part of the White House’s USA Freedom Corps initiative and the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps. Volunteers are expected to be active members of the MRC community, participate and share information on the MRC ListServ or at MRC meetings. Regular updates of your unit profile, volunteer numbers, and recent activities also are requested.

To register, complete and submit the registration form. MRC Program Office staff review the application, and State Coordinators and RCs provide consultation as necessary. Upon approval, the MRC unit will be added to the online directory.

For more information, see How to Start an MRC.

Types of Volunteers

Possible front-line medical and public health volunteers include:

physicians (e.g., including surgeons, medical specialists, osteopaths)
physician assistants
nurses (e.g., nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants)
pharmacists
dentists
dental assistants
optometrists
veterinarians
emergency medical technicians
public health workers
epidemiologists
infectious disease specialists
toxicologists
mental health practitioners (e.g., psychologists, substance abuse counselors, social workers)
health educators/communicators
other medical and public health professionals

Possible administrative and other support volunteers include:

administrators and business managers
administrative assistants and office support staff
drivers
chaplains
training directors
trainers
volunteer coordinators
fundraising professionals
supply and logistics managers & workers
interpreters/translators
amateur radio operators
other support personnel

Volunteer activities

Activities include, but are not limited to:

supporting local public health, while advancing the priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General, which are to promote disease prevention, improve health literacy, eliminate health disparities, and enhance public health preparedness
assisting local hospitals and health departments with surge personnel needs
participating in mass prophylaxis and vaccination exercises and community disaster drills
training with local emergency response partners
providing First Aid services for fundraising and other events

How to volunteer

The first step in becoming an MRC volunteer is to locate the MRC unit closest to you. Access the list of registered MRC units to find contact information and consult with your local unit about how you can get involved.

Partnering with an MRC

MRC units must partner with community response agencies. To learn more about partnering with your local MRC unit, read Coordinating With Your Local Response Partners and access the list of registered MRC units for contact information. To access a list of national partner organizations recently spotlighted on the MRC Web site, see the MRC Spotlights.

Quotations

“Medical Reserve Corps volunteers provide a tremendous asset at the local, state, and national level. Committed to enhancing the nation's public health system, this highly trained volunteer workforce contributes countless hours to strengthening a community's response to disasters and other public health emergencies."

Jack Herrmann, MSEd., NCC, LMHC

Senior Advisor, Public Health Preparedness

National Association of County and City Health Officials

“Not only is the MRC emergency preparedness and response, but it is surge capacity, which is very much needed at the local level and the department of health for any community. I feel that local boards of health should champion the MRC, and even help to start units within their community.”

Ronald C. Burger

Immediate Past President

National Association of Local Boards of Health

“The Medical Reserve Corps program has the potential to make significant contributions to the health security of our people and our nation. The MRC stands out as a venue for volunteers from all professions and disciplines to assist in the preparation for and response to all Public Health Emergencies and can serve as a vehicle to better integrate response activities across geographical boundaries and all sectors of the health and public health communities.”

Dr. James J. James

Director, Center for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response

American Medical Association

Federal- and national-level reports and documents

Links to local MRC websites

State of California

State of Florida

State of Iowa

State of Kansas

State of Maine

State of Maryland

Prince George's County Health Department Medical Reserve Corps

State of Massachusetts

Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps

State of Minnesota

University of Minnesota Medical Reserve Corps

State of Missouri

State of New Mexico

Albuquerque-University of New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps

See National MRC Site for information on these New Mexico Units:

Alamogordo High School Jr. Medical Reserve Corps
Bosque School Junior MRC
Capital High School MRC
Hatch High School Junior MRC
McKinley County Medical Reserve Corps
Onate High School Jr MRC
Pueblo of Zuni MRC
Southern New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps

State of New York

State of North Carolina

State of Ohio

Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps

State of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps

State of Pennsylvania

Chester County Medical Reserve Corps

State of Tennessee

Middle Tennessee Medical Reserve Corps

State of Texas

Texas State Guard

The Texas State Guard is one of three branches of the military forces of Texas, reporting to the Adjutant General, and under the command of the Governor. The other branches of the State Military Forces of Texas are the Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Air National Guard.-History:The Texas...

Medical Brigade of the Texas State Guard - aka "Texas Medical Rangers"

State of Virginia

State of Washington

Electronic media

Emergency Preparedness & Safety Tips - WVOX
WVOX
WVOX is a radio station in New Rochelle, New York. It is operated as a regional community station heard mainly in suburban Westchester County, the Bronx, Queens, the North Shore of Long Island, southern Connecticut and northern New Jersey. The station president is William O'Shaughnessy, and its...

Radio Host/Producer Lisa Tolliver (a volunteer/media partner with Westchester
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...

Emergency Volunteer Reserves-Medical Reserve Corps) and WEVR-MRC Manager Marianne Partridge earned kudos from United States Surgeon General
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...

Richard Carmona
Richard Carmona
Richard Henry Carmona is an American physician, public health administrator, and politician. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the seventeenth Surgeon General of the United States. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002, Carmona left office...

for regularly publicizing emergency preparedness and safety tips on Tolliver's WVOX radio shows, and for extending their outreach by publishing articles online in an "Emergency Preparedness & Safety Tips" blog and in Tolliver's Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...

Magazine articles. Tolliver and Partridge often featured interviews with emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...

professionals (such as a Fire Captain Bobby Benz) and celebrities (such as Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...

). They typically targeted their messages to coincide with current events and holidays, such as fireworks safety on Independence Day
Independence Day
An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...

and hurricane safety during the June–November hurricane season, or guest-specific issues, such as earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

safety, when interviewing West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

resident, Flavor Flav. Tolliver and Partridge's partnership ended in 2007, when Partridge changed careers, and Tolliver discontinued the series lates in 2008, after collaborating for a short time with Partridge's replacement at WEVR-MRC.

External links

National Medical Reserve Corps Web Site
http://www.hhs.gov/
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/
http://www.usphs.gov/
http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/
http://www.citizencorps.gov/
http://www.naccho.org

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.