MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS

MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS

HEALTH Magazine, Winter 2025
Published by the Southwest Utah Public Health Foundation

This podcast episode is an AI-generated narration of the HEALTH Magazine article.

The full article text is provided below as the official transcript of this episode.

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

By Suz Roam, Southwest Utah MRC Coordinator

Narrated by Suz Roam using AI-assisted voice.

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a nationwide volunteer organization that is usually sponsored by local public health agencies. We are medical and non-medical volunteers coming together to improve the health and safety of our communities. The Southwest Utah MRC covers Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, and Washington Counties. We support public health by training, educating, and deploying our volunteers to assist in emergencies and health-related events.

The need for the MRC became apparent after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when medical and public health professionals, eager to volunteer in support of emergency relief activities, found that there was no organized approach to channel their efforts. As a result, the MRC was established to provide a way to recruit, train, and activate medical and public health professionals, along with other volunteers, to respond to community health needs during disasters and other public health emergencies. Examples of activities that MRC volunteers participate in include:

• Emergency preparedness and response trainings and exercises

• Emergency shelter operations and medical care

• Disaster medical and behavioral health support

• Mass dispensing efforts (medication, water, other supplies)

• Disease testing and surveillance

• Community vaccination clinics

• Support services to disaster call centers, family assistance centers, and reception/evacuation centers

• Emergency operations center and communications support

• Patient movement support

• Disaster clean-up and recovery support

• First aid and medical support during large public gatherings

• Community education and outreach

Since you've worked hard in your career to master healthcare skills, volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps is an effective way to keep those skills current and useful. You’ll be part of an organized team that trains for response capabilities that bolsters local emergency planning while helping to keep your family, friends, and neighbors safe, along with the most vulnerable members of your community.

Our MRC membership includes nurses, doctors, pharmacists, therapists, public health officials, and other professionals who are currently working in their fields or retired. Those without medical training can assist with administrative, logistics, and other essential support functions. Following registration and orientation, you’ll have the opportunity to join monthly trainings, annual conferences, and emergency response exercises. To register, go to UtahResponds.org.