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Volunteers prepare for a health crisis
8/26/2009 10:10:02 AM
By Christina Killion Valdez
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
Mary Pat Jewison, a registered nurse in Rochester, isn't only concerned about the possibility of an H1N1 flu outbreak, she's also willing to combat it.
"I would hate to see a lot of people get sick," she said.
Plus, she has the time, knowledge and skills to make a difference, which prompted her to join the local division of the Minnesota Responds Medical Reserve Corps run through Olmsted County Public Health Services.
"If something happens, they can use what I've got," she said.
Volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps, however, don't need a medical background.
The first local volunteer recruitment informational meeting was Tuesday, and it targeted people without a medical background or training.
"This is not a first responder," said Amy Evans, a health educator who is helping administer the volunteer program for Olmsted County Public Health. "The volunteers support existing programs."
The Medical Reserve Corps is a community-based initiative run though Olmsted County Public Health Services to organize volunteers to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living. Volunteers are trained to supplement existing emergency and public health resources. They are also a part of the national MRC program, which began in 2002 under the USA Freedom Corps.
In the case of an H1N1 flu outbreak, the volunteers could be asked to man vaccination clinics, flu centers, support homebound patients or provide logistical support, Evans said.
There are 70 local volunteers in the system, many of whom joined earlier to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina or the flooding in southeast Minnesota and, later, North Dakota, Evans said. While some of those volunteers were called up, none has been deployed to an emergency, she said. That could change in a flu outbreak.
"It depends on the severity and what is needed," Evans said.
That's why preparations are being made now. Volunteers receive training and say where and for how long they're willing to be deployed.
Among those who stepped forward Tuesday was Pat Hrabe, a parish nurse for Christ United Methodist Church who retired last year from Olmsted County Public Health.
"It's a great opportunity to serve the public and my church," she said.