| | Published March 13th, 2013
| Disaster Medical Care Could Be a Neighbor Away
| | By Laurie Snyder | | |
"It really came out of 9-11," said Steve Huck, the executive director of Contra Costa County's Medical Reserve Corps, as he opened his presentation before the Orinda City Council March 5. Formed "to help increase overall community resilience to disasters," the MRC has been making the rounds of area government and emergency services events to foster greater collaboration between those most likely to be called upon to render aid during earthquakes and other catastrophic situations.
Medical Reserve Corps representatives make it possible for additional medical professionals to respond to a medical surge event or an event requiring the mass distribution of pharmaceuticals. Oversight is provided by the Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services as lead agency with support from Contra Costa Health Services. Volunteers, including current working physicians, dentists, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and pharmacists, as well as retired practitioners may be deployed as individuals, in small teams of six to eight, or in groups which combine teams. During non-emergency downtime, they fulfill vital public service roles by educating the public at disaster fairs, administering flu vaccines to county residents, teaching CPR, and providing medical help for the homeless.
"We were a little in awe of what the reserve corps does," said City Manager Janet Keeter, reflecting on a recent information sharing between corps representatives, Orinda Police Chief Jeffrey Jennings, and Moraga Orinda Fire Chief Randy Bradley. She realized that a presentation by Huck before the council would not only better educate city leaders, but might also encourage greater participation by healthcare providers living or practicing in Orinda.
To learn more visit Medical Reserve Corps' website, www.cchealth.org/mrc/.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA