| Quick
Facts About the MRC
Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical
Reserve Corps (MRC) program is sponsored by the Office of the
Surgeon General, in cooperation with the White House’s USA Freedom
Corps and the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps. It
was officially launched as a national community-based movement in
July 2002. It was formed in response to President Bush’s call for
all Americans to offer volunteer service in their communities.
The purpose of the MRC program is to strengthen communities by
helping medical and public health volunteers offer their expertise
throughout the year as well as during times of community need.
The MRC program is a specialized component of the Citizen Corps, a
national network of volunteers dedicated to making sure their
families, homes and communities are safe from terrorism, crime and
disasters of all kinds.
MRC units have been formed or planned across the United States;
thousands of medical and public health volunteers have joined
local units.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals
such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, emergency medical
technicians, dentists, veterinarians, epidemiologists and
infectious disease specialists. In addition, volunteer
interpreters, chaplains, amateur radio operators, logistics
experts, legal advisors, and others may fill key support
functions.
How would the Orange County Medical Reserve
Corps be utilized?
In a disaster or
major emergency an MRC volunteer would be given assignments
commensurate with their experience and professional licensure.
Activities may include, but are not necessarily limited to, the
following:
-
Assisting at
prophylaxis or immunization clinic sites set up by the County.
This activity could include patient screening and administration
of medications.
-
Assisting with
the distribution of medical supplies or pharmaceuticals
stockpiled by the County or provided through the State or the
Strategic National Stockpile.
-
Providing
mental health support for disaster victims.
-
Providing
assessment and treatment of minor medical problems that could
result from environmental exposure or communal living conditions
(e.g. shelters or parks where people might congregate following
a disaster), but are not serious enough to warrant treatment at
a hospital.
-
Providing
direct patient care at hospitals and/or clinics. The MRC
volunteer would be deployed to the private sector setting upon
the request for assistance by such hospital or clinic. This
could include various medical specialities, dental, or
behavioral health venues.
-
Providing
medical staffing for organized shelters upon the request of the
Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross or other
officially recognized response agency.
-
Assisting with
Public Health community assessment activities.
-
Deployment to
another county as part of an organized regional mutual aid
response from Orange County. This is totally voluntary and
would be coordinated with each member of the MRC.
|
