About the Medical Reserve Corps
The Medical Reserve Corps is a national network of local groups made up of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety, and resilience of their communities.
Organized through the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, the mission of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps is to assist local communities during a public health emergency, by providing a rapid and coordinated response using locally recruited medical, non-medical, mental health, public health, and support volunteers.
- Learn more about the national Medical Reserve Corps
- Article: Medical Reserves Answer Call to Service
Journal of American Medical Association (1354 JAMA, April 4, 2012—Vol 307, No. 13)
Vermont Medical Reserve Corps
The Vermont Medical Reserve Corps is a part of the national program. The Vermont Department of Health is the lead agency for providing guidance and support to the state's Medical Reserve Corps units.
A Corps of Citizen Volunteers
Created by the federal government shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, the national MRC system brings together volunteers to serve as part of their local emergency preparedness and response teams.
Medical Reserve Corps volunteers help ensure our communities are ready for a large-scale emergency or public health crisis.
Vermont Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as non-medical volunteers who want to help strengthen the public health infrastructure and improve the preparedness and response capabilities of the state and our communities. MRC units identify, screen, train, and organize volunteers to support public health activities and augment preparedness and response efforts.
MRC volunteers are registered through the Vermont Emergency Response Volunteer system.
MRC units are trained and prepared to respond to emergencies.
MRC units supplement existing emergency and public health resources, including the Red Cross, local public health, fire, police, first responder, and ambulance services. Each MRC conducts its role in the way that best suits the unique challenges for its area. The result is a collaborative effort that is prepared for large scale public health crises.
Unit members also provide education, outreach, and health services throughout the year. Working together with the Health Department, Emergency Management, local police, first responders, community organizations, and other volunteer programs and local groups, the MRC builds awareness for public health initiatives, such as disease prevention and health literacy. All of which helps us to be better prepared for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.
Training and Support
The national Medical Reserve Corps program serves as a clearinghouse for information and best practices to help communities establish, implement and maintain MRC units across the nation.
The Program Office sponsors an annual leadership conference, hosts a website, and coordinates with local, state, regional and national agencies and organizations to help communities meet their goals for public health and emergency preparedness.
VERV: The Vermont Emergency Response Volunteers System
VERV is a statewide, secure registry database for people who volunteer their services in the event of a public health emergency or other type of event. The Vermont MRC uses VERV to register their unit members.
This online registration system collect basic information concerning a volunteer’s skills and areas of expertise in advance of an emergency response event. The VERV Registry System is sponsored and supported by the Vermont Department of Health.
For more information
Contact the Vermont State MRC Coordinator
Charles Deasy, Interim MRC Coordinator
Vermont Department of Health
Office of Public Health Preparedness
802-863-7484
charles.deasy@state.vt.us
