Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Office of the Surgeon General

Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Quarterly Progress Report

FY2010 Quarter 1 (October1 – December 31, 2009)

MRC Status and Activity Highlights:

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of local groups of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety and resiliency of their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as others interested in strengthening the public health infrastructure and improving the preparedness and response capabilities of their local jurisdiction. MRC units identify, screen, train and organize the volunteers, and utilize them to support routine public health activities and augment preparedness and response efforts. The MRC mission is to engage volunteers to strengthen public health, emergency response and community resiliency. We are pleased to welcome 19 new MRC units that were registered with the Office of the Surgeon General during this quarter:

Region / Region
1 / Greater Plymouth MRC (NH) / 6 / OK Region 4-Wagoner County MRC
2 / Allegany Cattaraugus Chautauqua (NY) / 6 / Greater Killeen MRC (TX)
3 / Georgetown Emergency Response (DC) / 6 / Corpus Christi-Nueces MRC (TX)
3 / Western Montgomery MRC (PA) / 7 / Ralls County Health Dept MRC (MO)
3 / Blue Ridge MRC (VA) / 8 / Fremont County MRC (WY)
4 / Allen County Scottsville Student MRC (KY) / 9 / Apache County MRC (AZ)
4 / Mississippi Gulf Coast MRC / 10 / Lower Elwa Klallam MRC (WA)
5 / Fulton County Volunteer MRC (IL) / 10 / Sammamish MRC (WA)
5 / Lake County MRC (MI) / 10 / Issaquah MRC (WA)
6 / OK Region3-Pontotoc MRC

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Office of the Surgeon General

Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Quarterly Progress Report

FY2010 Quarter 1 (October1 – December 31, 2009)

During this period, no MRC units were de-registered. At the end of the reporting period there were 199,403volunteers enrolled in869MRC units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Palau, and Puerto Rico. (Note: the number of volunteers is collated from the information provided by MRC units as part of their profiles on the MRC website)

The following map and charts give a quick snapshot of MRC growth, the number and regional distribution of MRC units and volunteers, and the categories of MRC volunteers:

As part of their profiles on the MRC website, 514 (59%) MRC units reported a total of 2,995 activities during this quarter: 135administrative, 386preparedness, 1,279public health, 872emergency response and 323 training. Many MRC units reported H1N1-related activities. Samples of the activities that MRC units have been involved in during this reporting period include:

Public Health

• The Topsfield Regional MRC (Topsfield, MA) recruited volunteers and educated the community at a MRC booth at the Topsfield Fair.
• The Wachusett MRC (Hubbardston, MA) and the Grafton MRC (Grafton, MA) sponsored a Whack the Flu Program in twelveschools in order to educate children on disease prevention.
• The Brocton Area MRC (Brocton, MA) and partners distributed 20,000 bookmarks that contained information on flu precautions, hand washing, and cough etiquette, to libraries, schools, public buildings, clinics, and other venues.
• The Amherst Health Department MRC (Amherst, MA) administered over 200 flu vaccinations to elderly citizens.
• Almost 900 members of the Rhode Island MRC assisted with the efforts to provide H1N1 vaccinations for all of the children in RI public schools. Approximately120,000RI schoolchildren in 450 schools were vaccinated.
• The Monmouth County MRC (Freehold, NJ) assisted the health department in administering H1N1 vaccinations to 260 EMS providers.
• Volunteers with the Ocean County MRC (Toms River, NJ) participated in six countyH1N1 clinics, providing approximately 5,500 vaccinations to area residents.
• One hundred three volunteers with the Dutchess County MRC (Poughkeepsie, NY) vaccinated 3,400 county residents over a four week period.
• Over five weekends, 500 volunteers with the NYC MRC (New York, NY) assisted in vaccinating 40,000 people using 29 H1N1 Points of Dispensing (POD) sites.
• The Eastern Panhandle MRC (Martinsburg, WV) assisted with registration, handing out bottled water, and providing additional information at the Freedom Run Marathon.
• The Peninsula MRC (Newport News, VA) assisted with vaccinating over 113 animal at a free rabies clinic.
• The Howard County MRC (Columbia, MD) assisted with administering over 5,900 seasonal flu vaccinations in five hours at a drive thru clinic.
• The Arlington County MRC (Arlington, VA) assisted with vaccinating over 12,550 students. MRC volunteers donated 988 hours with the volunteer services valued at over $20,250.
• The Martin County MRC (Stuart, FL) administered 3,540 H1N1 vaccines which were dispensed in five distribution sites.
• The Miami-Dade MRC (Miami, FL) vaccinated 4,000 people at a health department led H1N1 vaccination clinic.
• The Allen County MRC (Fort Wayne, IN) staffed a health department sponsored phone bank by fielding and responding to community-wide H1N1 questions and concerns.
• The Athens County MRC (Athens, OH) stood up an H1N1 vaccination clinic for priority groups.
• The Franklin County & Columbus MRC (Columbus, OH) held an immunization clinic and administered over 1,500 H1N1 vaccinations.
• The Cuyahoga County MRC (Parma, OH) assisted local community partners in vaccinating over 4,400 people at four H1N1 clinics.
• The Miller County/Texarkana MRC (Texarkana, AR) assisted at a first aid station at a local charity athletic event.
• The Acadiana Parish MRC (Lafayette, LA) volunteers assisted the Louisiana Department of Health with their 2009 H1N1 School Vaccination Campaign.
• Volunteers with the Calcasieu Parish MRC (Lake Charles, LA) supported a local suicide prevention education awareness event by assisting with logistics and handing out suicide prevention material.
• The Oklahoma Region 7 – Tulsa County MRC (Tulsa, OK) assisted their health department with administering 5,329 doses of the H1N1 vaccine during a five hour walk-through POD site.
• The Okmulgee County MRC (Okmulgee, OK) supported numerous seasonal and H1N1 vaccination clinics.
• Volunteers from Coal County MRC (Coalgate, OK) assisted neighboring AtokaCounty in a drive through seasonal flu clinic.
• Twelve volunteers from the Albuquerque-University of New Mexico MRC (Albuquerque, NM) donated 96 hours of logistical and administrative support to a local hospital that provided more than 3,800 seasonal flu shots at a drive-thru clinic.
• The Pueblo of Zuni MRC (Gallup, NM) constructed a haunted house for Halloween to educate youth on the negative impact of STDs and drugs and alcohol.
• The Brazoria County MRC (Alvin, TX) volunteers provided 180 blood pressure screenings in one day at the county fairand also provided preparedness and pandemic flu prevention informationto several hundredfair attendees.
• The Pearland Area MRC (Pearland, TX) and various partner organizationseducated 1,400 children on how to walk safely to and from school using the “National Walk to School Program.”
• The Collin County MRC (McKinney, TX) coordinator provided an H1N1 update and MRC information to local school district nurses.
• The South-Central Missouri MRC (Rolla, MO) supported the Health Department in a seasonal flu clinic by administering vaccines to 140 individuals.
• The Eastern Nebraska/Western Iowa MRC (Omaha, NE) assisted in staffing five H1N1 clinics in three different counties and provided 8,000 vaccinations.
• Forty three volunteers with the MRC of El Paso County (Colorado Springs, CO) vaccinated 8,262 persons at five H1N1 clinics.
• Twenty medical and other support volunteers with the MRC of Southwestern Colorado (Durango, CO) helped staff 18 vaccination clinics.
• The Bear River MRC - Cache County (Logan, UT) provided 377 hours of volunteer service to the local health department by staffing numerous flu clinics at schools and at the health department – with the volunteer services valued at over $24,000.
• The Bear River MRC – BoxElderCounty (Brigham City, UT)contributed over $10,000 worth of volunteer hoursthrough its participation invarious vaccination clinics.
• The Carson City MRC (Carson City, NV) administered 2,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic.
• Fifty-five members of the MRC of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) provided 539.25 volunteer hours staffing H1N1 vaccination clinics – with the volunteer services valued at $25,884.
• The Marin County MRC (San Rafael, CA) administered more than 6,000 H1N1 vaccinationsand provided 430 total volunteer hours withthe volunteer services valued at $19, 236.
• The Orange County MRC (Santa Ana, CA) had 30 volunteer physicians, pharmacists and nurses assume leadership roles in three city seasonal flu vaccination POD sites.
• Fifteen volunteers with the MRC of Eastern Washington (Spokane, WA) assisted their local health department in providing 2,800 H1N1 vaccinations.
• The Whatcom County MRC (Bellingham, WA) assisted in two H1N1 vaccination clinics at which 1,800 people received vaccinations.

Preparedness/Training

• The Milford MRC (Milford, CT) volunteers participated in an event at theirlocal public works site, collecting hazardous household waste materials andeducating the publicon safe waste disposal.
• The Middleborough Area MRC (Middleborough, MA)held anamateurradio class for emergency communications.
• The Massachusetts Region 4A MRC (Weston, MA) held training sessions for over 50 participants on Citizen Ready and Psychological First Aid.
• The Brookline Department of Health (Brookline, MA)held an information and sharing session on how MRC units could work with DMAT.
• The Oxford County MRC(Rumford, ME)provided personal preparedness training and a first aid drill to regional Boy Scout campers.
• The Manalapan MRC (Manalapan, NJ) volunteers participated in a training exercise that focused on responding to a multiple casualty incident in a school.
• The Schoharie County MRC (Schoharie, NY) volunteers completed an American Red Cross shelter operations training course.
• The Richmond City Health District MRC (Richmond, VA) supported their localhealth department byproviding 100 t-shirts with a flu prevention message to one of theirtarget populations – the homeless.
• The Oak Park MRC (Oak Park, IL) conducted Psychological First Aid Training for their volunteers.
• The Sibley County MRC (Gaylord, MN) assisted local businesses with Pandemic Flu Continuity of Operations(COOP) Planning.
• Medical Reserve Corps of Dakota County (West St. Paul, MN) offered a vaccine refresher course to update the vaccination skills of licensed health professionals.
• The Portage County MRC (Ravenna, OH) conducted Volunteer Reception Center Training in preparation for local H1N1 clinics.
• The Wisconsin Disaster Medical Response Team MRC (Appleton, WI) participated in a “cold case” missing person search training.
• The Oklahoma MRC Nurses (Oklahoma City, OK) supported the “Get involved!” disaster preparedness training and other CEU credits to nurses at the Oklahoma Nurses Association.
• The Fannin County MRC (Bonham, TX) promoted the unit at the county fair through an information booth that provided emergency response resources.
• The Cheyenne County MRC (Cheyenne Wells, CO) is participating in a six-month COOP planning process with local businesses with the goal of providing a planning template for other small communities.
• The Garfield County MRC (Rifle, CO) attended a surge planning session at a local hospital.
• The Davis County MRC (Farmington, UT) sponsored orientation training for 100 new members from a faith-based group.
• The Fresno MRC (Fresno, CA) in conjunction with their local fire department visited 1,500 homes to install smoke detector alarms and batteries.
• The Schoolcraft County MRC (Manistique, MI) assisted with local strategic national stockpile (SNS) planning by re-packaging supplies for 15 hospitals.

Emergency Response

• The Martha’s Vineyard MRC (Vineyard Haven, MA) was on stand by to support the local American Red Cross chapter shelters during a snow storm.
• The Peninsula MRC (Newport News, VA) helped staff an emergency crisis shelter during heavy rains.
• The Wisconsin Disaster Medical Response Team (Appleton, WI) assisted K-9 response teams by searching for a missing person and lost hikers at a state parkontwo separate occasions.
• The South Plains MRC (Lubbock, TX) went on stand by for sheltering operations in response to winter storms.
• The Navajo County MRC (Holbrook, AZ) volunteers assisted with staffing a shelter for people left without power for 36 hours after a snow storm.
• The Medical Reserve Corps of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) had eight volunteers respond to a call from Animal Control to assist in processing animals displaced by a large apartment fire. MRC mental health counselors were also on stand by to assist the ARC.

Administration

• The Greater Sullivan County MRC (Unity, NH) set up a Twitter pageand is also participating inthe Hands On Network’s “Give A Day Get A Disney Day” event.
• The Duxbury Bay Area Regional MRC (Duxbury, MA) combined recruitment efforts with Fire Prevention Week festivities.
• The Nonotuck MRC (Easthampton, MA)worked with its region to develop a Just In Time (JITT) H1N1 Clinic Training PowerPoint presentation that integrates a JITT videoand the MRC website.
• The Cape Cod MRC (Barnstable, MA) calculated that their volunteers saved the county $32,800 through their volunteer efforts at 35 seasonal flu and H1N1 clinics.
• The Chesterfield Health District MRC (Chesterfield, VA) hosted a joint MRC/CERT recognition reception to show their appreciation for the level of commitment from their volunteers.
• Greater Westfield and Western Hampden County MRC (Westfield, MA) has an emergency response vehicle registered and prepared to deploy with communicationcapabilities.
• WinnebagoCounty MRC (Rockford, IL) met with their local Citizen Corps Council and developed formal MOUs with local emergency response partners.
• The Pottawatomie County MRC (Shawnee, OK) provided an MRC update to a local nurse organization.
• The Tarrant County MRC (Fort Worth, TX) held a recognition and awards ceremony on “National Make a Difference Day” to acknowledge volunteers for their service and dedication.
• The newly registered Greater Abilene Area MRC (Abilene, TX) has established a recruitment campaign with public service announcements on television, radio, print, web sites, and billboards.
• The Heritage Eagle Bend/Parker Adventist Hospital MRC (Aurora, CO) presented at the FEMA Conference in WashingtonD.C. outlining the scope and purpose of their MRC in a gated community for senior citizens.
• The Orange County MRC (Santa Ana, CA) was presented with the County’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award for its long-term commitment to serving local residents.

Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps Activities and Accomplishments:

The mission of the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC) is to support local efforts to establish, implement, and sustain MRC units nationwide. The OCVMRC is headquartered in the Office of the Surgeon General and functions as a clearinghouse for information and guidance to MRC units and other stakeholders. OCVMRC activities include strategic planning, intra- and interagency coordination, communications, policy development, program operations, grants management, contract oversight, technical assistance, and deployment operations. These activities are carried out by OCVMRC staff,including the MRC Regional Coordinators.

Major activities and accomplishments during the reporting period included:

• 2new State MRC Coordinators were appointed bringing the total number to 42:
• Florida, Rick Miller (, 850-251-1892)
• Rhode Island, Erin McDonough (, 401-489-5927)

• OCVMRC staff participated, presented and/or exhibited at the following meetings and conferences:
• AMA 3rd National Congress on Health System Readiness in Washington, D.C.
• BARDA’s Medical Countermeasures Conference
• American Association for Respiratory Care AnnualCongress in San Antonio, TX
• MRC Region III Meeting in Williamsburg, VA
• Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S. Annual Meeting in St. Louis, MO
• MRC Regions I & II Meeting in Ledyard, CT.
• HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) Stakeholders Workshop in Washington, D.C.
• Resilient American Communities: Progress in Practice and Policy Meeting in Washington, D.C.
• MRC Region VII Meeting in Kansas City, MO
• Western MRC Summit(Regions VIII, IX and X)in Cody, WY
• ASPR Pediatric Preparedness and Response in Public Health Emergencies and Disasters Workshop in Nashville, TN
• U.S. Department of Agriculture meeting in Beltsville, MD
• MontgomeryCounty Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America
• MichiganState HOSA Meeting in Lansing, MI
• Michigan Citizen Corps Conference in Traverse City, MI
• EMS EXPO in Atlanta, GA
• Louisiana Shots for Tots Conference in New Orleans, LA
• FEMA Region 6 Regional Interagency Steering Committee in Fort Worth, TX
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital Core Disaster Training Class inLittle Rock, AR

• MRC Deployment Operations staff activities included:
• Participating in the bi-weekly H1N1 Update Senior Management ESF#8 Conference organized by ASPR
• Establishing a two-way listserv for MRC members interested in federal deployment
• Continuing to work on the draft Federal Deployment Guide
• Hosting a deployment workshop to develop training curriculum for the MRC Federal deployment cadre training facilitated by subject mater experts from the CDC
• Participating in the monthly HHS Training, Exercise and Lesson Learned (TELL) conference call

• OCVMRC staff assisted in promoting the MRC through the following publications:
• Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
• JOAG Journal
• Advance For Nurses

• The MRC was mentioned in at least 178newspapers and other types of articles during the reporting period. See the “News and Events” page on the MRC website for links.

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