(CREDIT: Medical Reserve Corps Facebook page)

The need for a national Medical Reserve Corps became apparent after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when thousands volunteered in support of emergency relief activities, and found that there was no organized approach to channel their efforts.

Local responders were already overwhelmed and did not have a way to identify and manage these spontaneous volunteers, and many highly skilled people were turned away. As a result, the MRC was established to provide a way to recruit, train, and activate volunteers.

(CREDIT: Medical Reserve Corps Facebook page)

Recent events around the country continue to remind us of the need for trained, organized volunteers to rapidly respond to incidents.

Today, the Medical Reserve Corps is a national network of local groups of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety, and resiliency of their communities. MRC units successfully identify, screen, train and organize volunteers and use them to support routine public health activities and augment preparedness and response efforts.

MRC volunteers include community members, medical and public health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, interpreters, chaplains, office workers, retail salespersons and many more. Anyone can volunteer!

The MRC is more than a collection of people looking for ways to give back and volunteer their time to make a difference in their communities. It is a gathering of people across the county, each with specific skills, training and experience that makes them an invaluable public health resource.

The Kane County Health Department is excited to announce that we are hosting an informational kick-off meeting for the Kane County Medical Reserve Corps, 9 a.m., Saturday Sept. 16, at the Kane County Health Department, 1240 N. Highland Ave., Aurora, in Suite 23.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about the Medical Reserve Corps in your community, please RSVP to Stacy Zeng at zengstacy@co.kane.il.us and feel free to invite other members of the community that might be interested.

More information about the MRC is available by visiting mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage and kanehealth.com/medical_reserves.htm

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department news release

About the Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises 991 community-based units and almost 200,000 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories.

MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to community health activities that promote healthy habits.