Getting Started with the MRC: New Orleans MRC Coordinator Sarah ... MRC Units Get Their Communities Ready During Nationa
VOLUME 8, ISSUE 4 ■ FALL 2014
MRC IN FOCUS VOLUNTEERS BUILDING STRONG, HEALTHY, AND PREPARED COMMUNITIES
American Samoa, Texas, and New Jersey MRC Units Prepare for and Respond to Chikungunya In late 2013, the Chikungunya virus was found for the first time in the Americas, and locally transmitted cases of Chikungunya have been reported in American Samoa. To respond, the American Samoa Department of Health organized village assessments, and 15 American Samoa MRC volunteers conducted houseto-house visits to examine vector breeding sites in the villages. Volunteers also recorded data and translated information, while educating people about the behaviors that could foster potential breeding sites at the same time as their inspections. Meanwhile, in the continental United States, MRC units are training volunteers for an appearance of Chikungunya in their communities. Twenty-four Tarrant County MRC (TX) volunteers attended a training in July to learn about the virus, including how it spreads, its symptoms, and current status in the United States. Volunteers also learned how they would assist the local health department in the event of an outbreak; their roles would include notifying residents in the event of spraying, educating the community, and assisting the epidemiology division in the event of surge. Over the past year, Tarrant County MRC volunteers have donated nearly 150 hours in support of West Nile Virus and Chikungunya-related activities.
Hudson Regional Health Commission volunteers receive handouts for distribution
In New Jersey, six Hudson Regional Health Commission MRC volunteers came together with the Union City CERT Team and the Jersey City Health Department for a Just-in-Time training about Chikungunya in July. Volunteers distributed materials in English and Spanish throughout Hudson County over the course of a week to educate those traveling to and returning from Caribbean countries. “Being able to receive their support in the outreach effort made accomplishing the goal of reaching our community in a quick manner a reality,” said Christina Butieb, Hudson Regional Health Commission MRC Coordinator. “We were also grateful for their attendance and assistance in increasing awareness about this new mosquito-borne disease.”
Tarrant County volunteers attend a Chikungunya training
WHAT’S INSIDE:
2......Monmouth County MRC Supports Families Living with Autism and Related Disorders 3......Michigan, Nevada, and Iowa MRC Units Support Flood Response Efforts 4......Getting Started with the MRC: New Orleans MRC Coordinator Sarah Babcock 5......Cumberland County MRC Strengthens Core Mission in MERS Tabletop Exercise 6......MRC Units Get Their Communities Ready During National Preparedness Month
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National Notes Dear Colleagues, As many of you may know, the DCVMRC is being transitioned from the Office of the Surgeon General to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR is the lead federal agency for public health emergencies, and has the supporting infrastructure in place to sustain and promote a strong and viable MRC network. For the time being, we will continue to operate with CAPT Rob Tosatto, Director Division of the Civilian Volunteer limited modifications to our operations and expect Medical Reserve Corps to see only minimal disruption to the support we provide to MRC units. This transition period may be stressful for some, but it brings to mind the quote by George Bernard Shaw, “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” It is our plan to use this time to review DCVMRC strategy, operations, and services, as well as the perceptions and expectations of local and state organizations that work with the MRC. I encourage all of you to share your thoughts about the MRC and the services/resources provided by the DCVMRC. It is our hope to use this information to build a stronger MRC program going forward.
Any change can seem challenging, but there are things that can be done to prepare to make a transition easier. For example, my office engages in ongoing planning and cross-training to ensure that our services can continue in emergency situations and in the event of staff departure. I encourage you to also have plans in place for your MRC so that your unit can continue on as well. We know that MRC unit leader turnover is going to happen on occasion, and I encourage you to have a succession plan in place (perhaps utilizing volunteer leaders) and to notify your Regional Coordinator if a turnover does occur. I also suggest that you review Factors for Success 4.2: Establish Process for MRC Unit Leader Transition on our website for guidance on how to develop a transition plan. The MRC has proven to be a critical asset in many communities throughout our nation, which is largely due to your ability to prepare, adapt, and respond to address the changing needs of your communities. General Eric Shinseki’s quote, “If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less,” reminds me that, without change, the MRC program would not have developed and expanded to the extent that it has. Nor would it be as successful. I encourage you to continue to embrace change as a means to be better able to support our communities’ ability to withstand adversity, strengthen our health and response systems, and enhance national health security. Warmest Regards,
Monmouth County MRC Supports Families Living with Autism and Related Disorders The Autism Family Services of New Jersey held the tenth annual Beach Bash for individuals and families living with autism and related disorders on Sept. 7 at the Seventh Avenue beach in Belmar, NJ. At this event, families had an opportunity to meet others with autism and participate in activities throughout the day, including a camp for over 200 children to surf alongside professionals from the organization Surfer’s Healing. The Beach Bash is the largest gathering of individuals with autism and their families, with over 7,000 in attendance this year coming from New Jersey and surrounding states. Volunteers set up the medical tent
Surfing camp
During the event, eight MRC nurses staffed the medical tent, while nine other MRC volunteers greeted families as they arrived, worked in registration, helped to monitor the water slide, and assisted at the arts and crafts tent to help the children make bookmarks or color paddle balls. With an estimated one in 45 children diagnosed with autism in New Jersey, the Beach Bash provided an opportunity for MRC volunteers to support an enjoyable and relaxing event for families living with autism and related disorders.
FALL 2014
Michigan, Nevada, and Iowa MRC Units Support Flood Response Efforts Communities in areas throughout the United States experienced unexpected flooding this summer. Fortunately, MRC volunteers were ready to respond to requests for assistance in the aftermath.
Macomb County Health Department MRC volunteers staff the call center
For example, severe flooding occurred across southeast Michigan on Aug. 11. When the Macomb County Emergency Operations Center was activated, the Macomb County Health Department MRC was requested to assist with the flood hotline. Thirty-five MRC volunteers staffed multiple shifts in the six days following the flood. Volunteers directed residents to resources, explained the claims process, assisted callers with filling out damage assessment report forms, and collected information from elderly or disabled individuals in need of extra assistance. Having volunteers trained to address callers’ questions provided a valuable resource during the response. Often a volunteer raised concerns about potential misinformation, and the Emergency Manager quickly provided corrected information to callers. ”Because the Macomb County Health Department MRC volunteers were available for deployment, county staff members were able to address other urgent flood priorities,” said Kara Marsh, Macomb County Health Department MRC Coordinator. Now that the Macomb County Health Department MRC has staffed a hotline response, they will use the lessons learned to develop a standardized hotline script template to simplify future responses. Of note, a hotline response was not originally in the MRC’s concept of potential deployment situations, but earlier multipurpose trainings prepared volunteers to successfully respond to this event.
Macomb County Health Department MRC volunteers present Michigan governor Snyder with an honorary t-shirt
MRC of Southern Nevada volunteers provide mental health support to residents on the reservation
On Sept. 8, severe storms led to flash flooding in southern Nevada. One of the hardest hit areas was the Moapa River Indian Reservation, home to approximately 350 members of the Moapa Band of Paiutes. Substantial infrastructure damage occurred on the reservation including major damage to homes, vehicles, farms, the reservation cemetery, and the Indian health clinic; many homes moved and the cemetery was washed out, requiring the reburial of remains. From Sept. 15-17, the MRC of Southern Nevada responded by providing licensed mental health volunteers to support residents and workers as they began the recovery efforts on the reservation. Three volunteers accompanied American Red Cross assessment staff to provide mental health support to residents. “I was happy that our tribal partners, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, were willing to utilize our volunteers and anticipate we may be called upon for future roles as the recovery effort progresses,” said Paula Martel, MRC of Southern Nevada Program Coordinator. Flooding in the Iowa River basin at the end of June affected the University of Iowa and the cities of Coralville and Iowa City. In response, the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency set up a shelter supported by the local chapter of the American Red Cross. Additionally, 11 Johnson County MRC volunteers offered standby service to provide assistance to those with chronic medical needs. One MRC volunteer organized volunteer availabilities to staff the shelter and another volunteer refreshed members on MRC medical operations for the shelter. While the flooding did not require a large activation of MRC volunteers, it provided an opportunity for the Johnson County MRC to learn important lessons about their administrative policies, especially since the unit had been activated the year prior to provide the same support role during flooding that year.
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Getting Started with the MRC: New Orleans MRC Coordinator Sarah Babcock Sarah Babcock is the MRC Coordinator for the New Orleans MRC and began her career with the MRC in 2011 when she served as an intern for the New Orleans Health Department. She was brought on to evaluate the department’s emergency preparedness needs, and during her evaluation, explored how forming an MRC unit would benefit the City of New Orleans given their susceptibility to hurricanes. The New Orleans Health Department had previously housed an MRC unit but it faced several organizational challenges and leadership changes years before. As part of Sarah’s evaluation, she reached out to Region 6 Coordinator Stacy Sayre for information on reforming the unit and put together a plan to restart a unit in New Orleans. Once her internship concluded, Sarah accepted a position with the St. Johns County Health Department in Florida to work in their preparedness division and to assist with their MRC unit’s trainings one day per week.
In 2013, Sarah was invited back to New Orleans to serve as the emergency preparedness lead and to reform the MRC. One of the major challenges Sarah faced when beginning to lead the New Orleans MRC was improving the MRC’s previous reputation. It took some time for people in the community to understand that Sarah was going to sustain the unit. Additionally, she faced time constraints given that she could not devote as much time as she would like to the MRC since it was not her full time position. However, Sarah devoted a great deal of energy to forming the unit, recruiting volunteers, and promoting it within the community. It now has 42 volunteers and is creating tangible impacts in the community, especially through the work of their 2013 NACCHO MRC Challenge Award-winning project to close the gap in communication with at-risk populations. Sarah has one major piece of advice for new unit leaders: find a few superstar volunteers and engage them consistently to help build the MRC team. She currently has several volunteers who are always willing to meet to brainstorm new recruiting ideas and have helped to redefine the unit’s mission and vision. They have also undertaken event planning efforts, led group activities, and fostered camaraderie across the unit.
New Orleans MRC volunteers with unit coordinator Sarah Babcock, top left
MRC-TRAIN Finding MRC-TRAIN Courses from Partner Organizations MRC-TRAIN (www.mrc.train.org) allows any partner organization, from a Public Health Training Center to a local organization, to post a training. On MRC-TRAIN, trainings such as a local classroom-based course can be made available just to a single MRC unit. At the same time, widely available webinars and self-study courses can be made available to the entire MRC network. By making these trainings available through MRC-TRAIN, volunteers can build their transcripts to cover trainings across multiple organizations and partners and include both required and optional trainings. MRC leaders can access training rosters to evaluate unit knowledge, preparedness on specific topics, individual or group attainment of the recommended MRC core competencies, and review a unit’s entire training history. The ability to review detailed training data can help inform future unit training activities.
Volunteers can search for trainings by widely accepted providers of training, such as: n
NACCHO: http://bit.ly/NACCHOonMRCTRAIN University of North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness: http://bit.ly/UNConMRCTRAIN n South Central Public Health Partnership: http://bit.ly/SouthCentralonMRCTRAIN n Or search by any provider of training: http://bit.ly/ProviderSearch n
Remember, the MRC-TRAIN Support Desk (
[email protected]) is available to provide assistance and field questions, including on posting trainings, finding courses, and anything else. MRCTRAIN is FREE (including continuing education), available 24/7, and on track!
FALL 2014
Cumberland County MRC Strengthens Core Mission in MERS Tabletop Exercise Members of the Cumberland County MRC (ME) participated in a tabletop exercise coordinated by the Southern Maine Regional Resource Center, in cooperation with the Southern Maine Health Care group on June 12. structure and execution of the hospital’s alternate care site plan to the hospital emergency response team. Lessons learned from the exercise will allow the hospital emergency response team to modify the plan to utilize the MRC team expertise to fill identified gaps.
Exercise participants
The exercise scenario was the setup of an alternate care site for the hospital that addressed a surge of patients caused by a widespread outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The MRC got involved in the exercise because supporting hospital alternate care sites is one of their core missions and had received an invitation to participate from local partners. The Cumberland County MRC team leader was involved throughout the several month-long planning process and seven MRC members participated in the exercise. It also brought together partners such as the York County Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency, and the City of Biddeford School District to explore what their role would be in such an incident. Participation in the exercise identified the capabilities of the MRC members and gave valuable feedback on the
The Cumberland County MRC plays an important role in promoting public health throughout the state of Maine since they do not have a robust county public health system like most states. Thus, when the Cumberland County MRC was formed in 2011, various stakeholders including emergency management agencies, preparedness programs, healthcare associations, and public health organizations were able to identify four major gaps that an MRC unit could fill. One of these gaps included assistance with staffing hospital alternate care sites, and the Cumberland County MRC appreciated the opportunity to strengthen one of their core missions.
Full tabletop exercise
Volunteer Spotlight Dr. Justin Fairless joined the Tulsa County MRC (OK) in 2004 as a paramedic during his first year of medical school. During his time in EMS, he developed a special interest in disaster medicine and mass gathering care, and joined the MRC especially to assist with Dr. Justin Fairless medical support at mass gatherings. While Dr. Fairless has been instrumental to his MRC unit in the past decade, his skills were especially needed during the 2014 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 27. Several MRC units in Oklahoma were asked to provide medical support during the marathon where over 26,000 runners were expected. Various medical providers staffed
a tent at the finish line where a number of runners sought treatment for dehydration, heat exhaustion, and blisters. However, the most critically ill patient was transported to the tent after collapsing along the race route; he was found to be in cardiac arrest, unresponsive, and inadequately breathing. Dr. Fairless’ team treated the patient on site, and once they were able to move him to an ambulance, Dr. Fairless traveled with him to sustain treatment en route to the hospital. Once they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Fairless transferred his care to the emergency physician and fortunately the patient walked out of the hospital three days later. His survival can be attributed to the combined teamwork of the bystanders, EMS crews, and medical tent staff, including Oklahoma MRC volunteers. “I am grateful to have participated in the care to save this man's life, and fully intend to continue volunteering with OKMRC at special events like this one in the future,” Dr. Fairless said.
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MRC Units Get Their Communities Ready during National Preparedness Month September 2014 marked the eleventh annual National Preparedness Month, and numerous MRC units engaged in diverse community activities to promote the importance of preparedness across multiple organizations, community groups, and more. Some of the highlights follow: Raising Community Awareness n The Harford County MRC (MD) raised awareness about radiological preparedness given their community’s proximity to the nearby Peach Bottom power plant. Volunteers distributed free potassium iodide (KI) to members of the public who live or work within 10 miles of the power plant during the Harford County Health Department’s Community KI Distribution Day on Sept. 13. n
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The Kern County MRC (CA) hosted the ”We are Ready... are YOU?” Preparedness Fair on Sept. 6 in Bakersfield, CA to kick off National Preparedness Month. Twenty-five Kern County MRC members helped with the event, which was run with an ICS structure to allow members to learn, practice, and exercise the structure. Additionally, 30 community partners were in attendance at the fair to discuss how they would respond during a disaster. Partners included fire, police, American Red Cross, 211 call center, Boy Scouts, the local senior living facility, Salvation Army, Kern County Animal Services, Costco, and more. The Monroe County MRC (MI) participated in the Emergency Preparedness Expo at the Mall of Monroe to focus on fire prevention and safety. The Monroe County MRC had a table display showcasing an emergency kit, instructions on how to create a kit, MRC recruitment packets, and emergency preparedness flyers. Monroe County also promoted National Preparedness Month through their local media, including the evening news, community cable television station, and radio public service announcements.
Working with Stores n The Hopkins-Muhlenberg MRC (KY) and Hopkins County Health Department partnered with a local Kroger grocery store in Madisonville, KY to provide preparedness information to shoppers and promote MRC volunteer opportunities. Kroger highlighted products in the store that can stock a Family Preparedness Kit. Also, one Hopkins-Muhlenberg MRC volunteer presented shoppers with an emergency preparedness shopping checklist at Wal-Mart to help them build their emergency kits. n
The Western Nevada MRC, in conjunction with Carson City Health & Human Services and Carson City Emergency Management, partnered with Home Depot to host the third annual Build-a-Preparedness Kit workshop on Sept. 13. These agencies supplied materials for community members to start their own preparedness kits. Volunteers from both the Western Nevada MRC and Carson City CERT assisted the emergency preparedness professionals by handing out kits and other information.
Reaching out to Faith-based Organizations n The Adams County MRC (IL) presented to the Quincy Ministerial Alliance about encouraging preparedness to the congregation by promoting the importance of having kits prepared, counseling the community after the disaster, and helping at sites in possible tragedies. The Adams County MRC also presented about their 2013 NACCHO MRC Challenge Award-winning project, “5-2-1-0 Let’s Go!” to encourage healthy eating and active living. n
The Calcasieu MRC (LA) provided classroom first aid kits, parent-child disaster and emergency themed activity books, parenting safety brochures, and dental hygiene kits to the staff, parents, and children of the Little Kingdom Child Development Center at the United Christian Fellowship Church.
The Monroe County MRC Planner discusses National Preparedness Month on air
The Calcasieu MRC provided a first aid kit to the Little Kingdom Child Development Center
FALL 2014
News from NACCHO Stay Updated with MRC Happenings in the Field through MRC Connect The new social media application for the MRC, MRC Connect, is now available online at http://mrcconnect.org and for download for free in the Apple iTunes store and Google Play market by searching for “MRC Connect.” The mobile version of MRC Connect is optimized for use on iPhones, iPads, and Android smartphones and tablets. MRC Connect presents an easy way to connect with other unit leaders on the go and to stay updated on emerging issues while you are in the field. Look for the MRC Connect mobile icon in the Apple iTunes store or Google Play market
MRC Connect is open to all unit leaders and network leadership. Hundreds of unit leaders are already on MRC Connect to share best practices via the community
discussion forum, private messaging, and task reports. Complete tasks to earn points, and view the Leaderboard to see how you rank among your peers in this friendly competition. Visit the Discussion section on MRC Connect for highlights from task reports and latest updates from the network. NACCHO also hosted the first MRC Connect chat about the 2014-2015 NACCHO MRC awards process on October 27, bringing together users and NACCHO staff to answer questions about this year’s awards. Stay tuned for more chats on MRC Connect about the latest happenings throughout the MRC network. Ralph Dutcher, Monroe County MRC (NY) unit leader and avid MRC Connect user, has said, “This system has an advantage because it's straightforward, geared toward work that we do day-to-day and it's another way to communicate with people in our same place in our career and doing the same kind of thing.” Join Ralph and your colleagues on MRC Connect today!
NACCHO Resources The Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps NACCHO’s “2013 Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps” report is available for download on NACCHO’s website at http://bit.ly/NetworkProfile. This report provides key facts and figures about the MRC network through an in-depth look at MRC unit composition, administration, and community impact. The 2013 Network Profile was the first-of-its-kind study of the national MRC network, illustrating the significance of MRC units in communities across the country. With an 87 percent survey response rate, the research into the structure and operations of 837 local units revealed the national scope of the entire network. A PowerPoint template and infographics from the report are also available on NACCHO’s website at: http://bit.ly/MRCNetworkProfile. Use these resources for your own presentations to highlight the impact of the MRC network nationwide.
Coming Soon! NACCHO will begin work on the 2015 MRC Network Profile in January. Stay tuned for an invitation to a survey where you can provide your unit’s demographic and other key information to inform the next MRC Network Profile.
The “2013 Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps” report
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! We need your help to make this newsletter informative, interesting, and beneficial to MRC units nationwide. We are always accepting stories and best practices on the MRC. Remember that stories with photos are more likely to be included. For the upcoming newsletter... Please submit stories and photos for consideration by December 19, 2014 to
[email protected]. We look forward to your submissions!
Submission Guidelines
• Please include contact information (e-mail and telephone number) for follow-up. • If you include photos, please send as high-resolution JPEG, TIF, or EPS attachments. • Digital cameras should be set for high-quality images using the maximum megapixel setting available. • Photo submissions should also include a caption or description of the event.
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1100 17th Street, NW, Seventh Floor Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-783-5550 Fax: 202-783-1583 www.naccho.org
To report changes in your contact information, please email
[email protected]. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
A LOOK AHEAD DECEMBER
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
National Blood Donor Month
American Heart Month
1 World AIDS Day
National Radon Action Month
National Children’s Dental Health Month
7-13 National Influenza Vaccination Week
26- Feb. 1 National Drug Facts Week
7 National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Save the Dates A P R I L 14 17 APRIL 14 17,, 2015 A T L A N TTA A, GEORGIA AT PREPAREDNESSSUMMIT.ORG PREP A REDNESSSUMMIT .OR G
G L O B A L H E A L T H SECURITY:
Registration now open! Reserve your spot at the 2015 Summit. Visit www.preparednesssummit.org to register now.
P R E PA R I N G A N AT I O N FOR EEMERGING MER G IN G THREATS TH RE A TS
This publication is made possible by the support of the Office of the Surgeon General under the terms of Cooperative Agreement MRCSG061001-01-00.
