MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is to
establish teams of local volunteer medical and public
health professionals who can contribute their skills and
expertise throughout the year and during times of
community need.
OVERVIEW
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. It is a partner
program with Citizen Corps, a national network of
volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security.
Citizen Corps, along with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and
the Peace Corps are part of the President's USA Freedom
Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service
nationwide.
MRC units are community-based and function as a way to
locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to
donate their time and expertise to prepare for and
respond to emergencies and promote healthy living
throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing
emergency and public health resources.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health
professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists,
dentists, veterinarians, and epidemiologists. Many
community members—interpreters, chaplains, office
workers, legal advisors, and others—can fill key support
positions.
MRC units are provided specific areas to target that
strengthen the public health infrastructure of their
communities by the U.S. Surgeon General. These are
outlined priorities for the health of individuals, and
the nation as a whole, which also serve as a guide to
the MRC. The overarching goal is to improve health
literacy, and in support of this, he wants us to work
towards increasing disease prevention, eliminating
health disparities, and improving public health
preparedness.
MRC volunteers can choose to support communities in need
nationwide. When the southeast was battered by
hurricanes in 2004, MRC volunteers in the affected areas
and beyond helped communities by filling in at local
hospitals, assisting their neighbors at local shelters,
and providing first aid to those injured by the storms.
During this 2-month period, more than 30 MRC units
worked as part of the relief efforts, including those
whose volunteers were called in from across the country
to assist the American Red Cross (ARC) and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
During the 2005 Hurricane Season, MRC members provided
support for ARC health services, mental health and
shelter operations. MRC members also supported the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) response
and recovery efforts by staffing special needs shelters,
Community Health Centers and health clinics, and
assisting health assessment teams in the Gulf Coast
region. More than 1,500 MRC members were willing to
deploy outside their local jurisdiction on optional
missions to the disaster-affected areas with their state
agencies, the ARC, and HHS. Of these, almost 200
volunteers from 25 MRC units were activated by HHS, and
more than 400 volunteers from more than 80 local MRC
units were activateded to support ARC disaster
operations in Gulf Coast areas.
Volunteers Needed for Flu
Vaccination Campaign
The Calcasieu Medical Reserve Corps (CMRC) seeks nurse
practitioners, nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other
healthcare personnel to administer flu vaccinations, as
well as community members willing to assist with a flu
campaign in rural areas of Calcasieu Parish in late
November and early December.
There are 184,961 citizens in Calcasieu Parish -- all
who could be at
risk for the flu virus. Last year Region V Department of
Health and
Hospitals/Office of Public Health administered over
2,000 flu shots at
the Calcasieu Parish Health Unit (CPHU).
With the aid of volunteers, CMRC also plans to offer flu
shots to
residents in Moss Bluff, Starks, Iowa, Vinton, Dequincy
and surrounding
areas. If you wish to assist with the flu vaccination
efforts, contact
Angela Jouett at 337-475-3217 or ajouett@dhh.la.gov.
On May 1, 2006, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury funded
the Calcasieu
Medical Reserve Corps (CMRC) in an effort to organize,
train, and
strengthen the medical response component for potential
threats of
hurricanes, influenza pandemics, chemical releases and
spills, floods,
and terrorism. The mission of the CMRC is to establish
teams of local
healthcare professionals and support staff who can
contribute their
skills and expertise during times of community need in
day-to-day
operations as well as during times of disaster.
Basic medical training and disaster preparedness clinics
are offered on
a monthly basis. For more information on how you can
assist your
community during times of emergencies, contact CMRC at
337-475-3217.
