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 Home > MRC Spotlights > Volunteer Spotlight - Fall 2008
What is the focus of the MRC unit? The mission of the County of Orange Healthcare Agency Health Disaster Management Division's Orange County Medical Reserve Corps is to enhance the emergency preparedness and response capabilities of Orange County through advanced registration, organization and training of volunteer health professionals who can be readily mobilized to respond to a major emergency or disaster, whether man-made or natural, when the existing health infrastructure is overwhelmed and unable to provide needed medical care in a timely manner. What is the volunteer's background? Dr. Ramon Perez currently works at the Anaheim Memorial Hospital as an infectious disease specialist. What is the volunteer's role within the MRC? Dr. Perez serves on the Orange County MRC Advisory Board. As a volunteer on the Advisory Board, he listens to reports on MRC activities at the local, regional, and national levels. In addition, he also shares ideas with other Board Members on preparedness issues and has helped to share the benefits of the MRC to different groups in the Orange County community. Dr. Perez also helps with the production of the Orange County MRC unit's quarterly newsletter. He is responsible for compiling the content for the newsletter as well as the newsletter's overall design and layout. The newsletter is a great source of information for current and potential MRC volunteers. It includes articles on such topics as personal preparedness and disaster readiness. What did the volunteer do to be in the spotlight? MRC Coordinator, Peggy McCormick, states that "Dr. Perez is a great asset to the Orange County MRC". He has been dedicated to working on the unit's newsletter for nearly four years. Dr. Perez is always on schedule and looking ahead to the next issue. In addition, his work on the Orange County MRC newsletter is key to communication for the unit's volunteers. How long has the volunteer been with the MRC? Dr. Perez has been with the Orange County MRC since September 2005. What prompted the volunteer to join the MRC? Dr. Perez stated that the events on September 11, 2001 had been a wake up call for him. It prompted him to recognize that we all need each other. When Dr. Perez heard about the Medical Reserve Corps, he had been looking for a project that would involve the community working together for mutual protection. Dr. Perez noted that we have learned from disasters that each community has to be self sufficient. "We cannot depend entirely on higher levels of government to help us in a disaster. That is where the MRC plays an important role." What are some activities that the volunteer has participated in? Dr. Perez has volunteered at vaccination clinics with the Orange County MRC. He indicated that vaccination clinics are a great foundation to train for emergencies, because they provide volunteers with the opportunity to practice the mass distribution of vaccinations. In May 2008, Dr. Perez was selected along with 13 other MRC volunteers to perform various roles in the Orange County Regional Joint Criminal and Epidemiological Investigation Workshop. Interesting facts about the volunteer! Dr. Perez enjoys the outdoors and participating in such activities as hiking and backpacking. He volunteers with a local conservancy group that has acquired 50,000 acres as a historical site. He took classes to become a docent, which allows him to lead tours of the site and also teach safety regarding the outdoors. Dr. Perez says that his involvement with the Orange County Medical Reserve Corps is an extension of his love of the outdoors. He is able to take what he has learned in preparation for his outdoor activities and apply them to the MRC and vice versa. Last Updated on 4/23/2009 |
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