Mystic Valley Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
Protecting the Public’s Health
The Mystic Valley Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) was created as part of a much larger program conceived by the Office of the Surgeon General to improve our nation’s public health infrastructure.
Serving the communities of Medford, Malden, Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield, the Mystic Valley MRC partners with other local law enforcement, public health, and public safety agencies to prepare our communities for natural disasters, man-made emergencies, and outbreaks of infectious illness. In the event of a public health or medical emergency, our growing corps of clinical and nonclinical volunteers could be called upon to:
|
About the MRC
|
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is managed at the national level by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. The mission of the Mystic Valley Medical Reserve Corps is to establish teams of local volunteer medical and public health professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need.
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 specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps are all part of the President’s USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service throughout the nation. 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. The Mystic Valley MRC was formed in 2005 with the financial support of a statewide Homeland Security grant to the Department of Public Health. We serve the communities of Medford, Malden, Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield. For more information about the Medical Reserve Corps at the national level, visit https://mrc.hhs.gov. For information regarding the Medical Reserve Corps at the state level, visit www.mamedicalreservecorps.org. |
|