Volunteer Spotlight - Winter 2007

An overarching goal of the Northwest Louisiana Medical Reserve Corps, formerly known as the Caddo-Bossier MRC, is to maintain an active registry of prepared, trained, and credentialed medical and support volunteers able to enhance medical response and increase surge capacity utilizing “front-end intervention” in shelter-based medical care clinics. Throughout the year, volunteers may participate in activities to promote disease prevention, health education, health literacy, and to address healthcare disparities.

 

 

Terry Strain, a physician assistant, is a full-time internal medicine clinical faculty at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. She  also has founded and volunteers at a free clinic treating patients in clinic and on “housecalls” into homeless encampments under bridges, in wooded areas, and abandoned buildings in the area.

 

Ms. Strain has been working tirelessly to integrate the MRC into the Caddo-Bossier Parish response system in Louisiana. She was largely responsible for assisting in the coordination of medical care during the sheltering of victims during the 2005 Hurricane Response. She is described by Stacy Sayre as having “unbelievable energy and heart.” Despite her full-time position and other volunteer activities, she has managed to recruit more than 150 volunteers for the MRC. Many of these are medical professionals. These professionals are integral in helping to reshape this team into a functional and responsive MRC.

   

Ms. Strain joined the MRC in 2003. She was already involved with the American Red Cross (ARC) and familiar with medical missionary work. When the MRC was founded in her community, she felt that it would be a natural transition to combine both the medical and emergency aspects with volunteering. 

Ms. Strain was named the MRC Coordinator in the spring of 2006. She has actively participated in the development of the Northwest Louisiana MRC unit’s interactive Web site. One component of the site provides general training information to MRC volunteers. The second component assists during activation, when members can sign up for shifts, orientations, and trainings in preparation for volunteer activation.

 

Ms. Strain is currently working with the Shreveport Regional MMRS to complete the Rapid Response Medical Module, a “clinic in a box” to enhance the response capability of the North West Louisiana MRC by decreasing time between activation and deployment. She presented this project at the 2007 MRC National Leadership and Training Conference Poster Session.

 

During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Ms. Strain was activated by the ARC and the MRC and volunteered in up to five shelters for 8 weeks. In the shelters, she assisted with the development and management of acute medical care clinics and provided patient care. In addition, she worked with the ARC Medical Director and other physicians as a part of a coalition of medical personnel.

 

Fun Facts

 

Ms. Strain volunteers with the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet. She serves on the Metropolitan Medical Response System Advisory Board. She also is  the president of the Northwest Louisiana Association of Physician Assistants.

 

Ms. Strain has three daughters and four (soon to be five) grandchildren.