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Getting Started: Considering the Components

Once you have identified possible risks and needs in your community, you will begin to formulate possible solutions. As the process may become more complicated, one suggestion is to consider your MRC unit in terms of three primary and interrelated components critical to operations. These components are:

1. External coordination
2. Volunteer relations
3. Internal organization

External Coordination

External coordination involves working closely with partnering organizations and groups that will engage and utilize your volunteers. Your MRC unit will be supplementing existing local emergency medical preparedness and public health capabilities. These activities provide volunteers and staff valuable opportunities to become acquainted with members of other organizations with whom they may respond in and emergency situation.

Coordinating with local response partners in developing and nurturing a broad network of partners will be critical. They may have existing procedures in place. Exercising disaster scenarios with response partners and maintaining close communications during and after an actual emergency or engagement will be necessary. Considering the overall picture can help you plan ahead.

Who Can Partner With the Medical Reserve Corps?

MRC units collaborate with various local organizations, such as:

Departments of public health Health care systems, hospitals, and clinics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Medical retirement groups Medical societies Medical examiners’ offices Healthcare outreach coalitions Retired and senior volunteer programs Nursing and medical schools American Red Cross Emergency medical services Metropolitan Medical Response System Local and state emergency management agencies Emergency planning committees Voluntary organizations active in disaster

Police and fire departments Community-based disaster preparedness groups Military organizations and National Guard Public schools Universities Citizen Corps councils Neighborhood associations Volunteer centers Faith-based organizations Nonprofit community organizations City attorneys’ offices Local government offices and departments Regional commissions and planning groups  Corporations

Volunteer Relations

Volunteer relations require developing a strong and committed volunteer corps. Developing volunteer capabilities is a key mandate for each MRC unit. Important aspects of building a strong MRC team include:

• Advertising your MRC unit to the community
• Informing volunteers of any risks associated with their MRC activities as they are screened and matched with existing needs
• Verifying volunteers’ credentials
• Providing additional training, post-response activities, and recognition

Who Can Volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corps?

MRC volunteers may 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 positions.

Internal Organization

Internal organization requires establishing the administrative systems and supports necessary to achieve your mission. A well-run organization is the foundation for each successful MRC unit, and the foremost, ongoing function of the unit’s administrators is planning. Successful MRC units:

• Track and update volunteer and local partner information
• Establish and follow policies
• Solicit operating funds
• Leverage public- and private-sector resources

Although these are challenging tasks, they do not have to be learned and applied immediately. These guidelines should help you consider how to establish an effective unit in your community. As you become familiar with the MRC and with the work it will undertake in your community, you will understand the overall role of the MRC.

What Resources Do You Need?

MRC units need internal leadership, clear policies and procedures, operating funds, office and meeting space, information technology systems for tracking data, access to services for volunteer credential verification and background checks, specialty expertise, in-kind donations of supplies and services, etc.

What Do Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers Do?

• MRC volunteers work with existing local emergency response programs
• MRC volunteers supplement existing local emergency response activities, such as:
  • Shelter/alternate care facility staffing
  • Hospital surge capacity support
  • Mass prophylaxis clinic staffing
• MRC volunteers support community preparedness activities, such as:
  • Dispensing clinic exercises
  • Family first planning
  • Personal preparedness education
• MRC volunteers supplement existing local public health initiatives, such as:
  • Outreach and prevention (e.g., West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking, substance abuse, diabetes detection, cardiac rehabilitation and screening, physical fitness, domestic violence, injury, vehicle safety, women’s health, and prostate and other cancers)
  • Immunization programs (e.g., childhood diseases, influenza, smallpox)
  • Blood drives
  • Case management and care planning (for families, special needs populations, high-risk infants, adolescents, the elderly, women, and others)
  • Pandemic influenza planning

Note: Many of these initiatives coincide with the Surgeon General’s Priorities of Eliminating Health Disparities, Public Health Preparedness, and Addressing Health Literacy.

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Last Updated on 8/15/2006