# Presentation: 665085

## Somerset County Department of Health Medical Reserve Corps

- Building Surge Capacity: “Innovative Community Partnerships Formed to Enhance Public Safety”
- Lucille Young-Talbot, MPA
-  MRC Coordinator
- (908) 231-7155 ytalbot@co.somerset.nj.us

**Notes:**
Introduce self and title.  Somerset County Health Department is the lead agency with the support of The Board Of Chosen Freeholders. 

##  The Citizen Corps Initiative

- CERT
- Neighborhood Watch
- VIPS
- Medical Reserve Corps

**Notes:**
While we focus on the MRC as our grant, we also inform our volunteers about the Citizen Corps Initiative and provide an overview of the distinction between each focal area within these components.  

## Somerset County Medical Reserve Corps Mission 

- To assist essential personnel and first response professionals and facilities in the event of any large scale local public health or medical disaster.

**Notes:**
 We utilize a team approach to educate community on BT efforts.

## Goals

- To recruit a cadre of professional volunteers who will be trained to work safely and effectively during emergent situations.
- Improve overall health and well being of communities during and after a disaster.
- Increase surge capacity during emergent situations.
- Reduce or minimize physical or environmental damages as a result of disaster.

**Notes:**
Our goals remain the same as we focus on local response and collaboration to provide surge capacity.   Physical includes mental health

## Goals

- Provide an opportunity for community members to be prepared during emergencies at home first and then be able to help with local community response efforts.
- Respond to emergencies in an effective organized framework within a command and control structure

**Notes:**
We include home safety as part of our basic training for volunteers.  Need to prevent a disaster within a disaster

## Health Depts

**Parks**

**EMS**

**Churches**

**Haz / Mat**

**Fire**

**Law **

**Civic ****Groups**

**Elected officials**

**Hospitals**

**Mass Transit**

**Health Depts**

**Pharmacy**

**Businesses**

**Nursing homes**

**Environment**

**Community Nurses**

**Schools**

**Labs**

**Mental health**

**Communication**

**Notes:**
Surely 9-1-1 showed us that there are very few segments of the community that ARE NOT somehow connected to public health – and don’t have some role to play – however small – in protecting the public’s health – we can never operate in a vacuum, least of all in a time of emergency..—
With that in mind, we invited numerous ‘sectors’ of the somerset community to participate in this project ---

## Many pieces needed....

- Points of Distribution  (PODs)

-  Supplies

-  VOLUNTEERS

-  Training

**Notes:**
In order to do this effectively, team approach with my main focus on the Volunteer recruitment, retention and training.

## Community Partners

**Notes:**
When establishing partnerships vision is to grow relationships in order to continue momentum and activities. Will provide a snapshot on a few activities.

## Somerset County Parish Nurse Association

**Notes:**
Somerset Medical Center Parish Nurses Association meeting. Presentation on BT and MRC. These nurses already volunteer but they will serve as a liaison to community, very connected, influential in their communities and will educate and recruit for our MRC. Possible presentations at each church; In addition sent a letter and bulletin to churches in area for inclusion in bulletins with positive response. Also another avenue for future presentations, POD sites, endless possibilities out of this partnership still emerging.  

## Parish Nurse Key Roles..

-  Mass disease prevention efforts
- Medication distribution – such as antibiotics during anthrax scare
- Vaccination – in the event of a flu pandemic
- Quarantine / isolation – should SARS / other disease affect community
-  Liaison to community

**Notes:**
Recruited several nurses this evening and then never know what outcome might be. Great ideas:  Tell story about nurse and condo association!!

## MRC/RVCC  Recruitment and Awareness Day 4/2/04

**Notes:**
The safe project is a 3-year grant though the Community College National Center for Community Engagement (CCNCCE)
12 faculty members serve as project leaders. Marketing students also involved as partners and developed a marketing plan for recruitment efforts 

## SC Pharmacists Association

**Notes:**
President of Association, local pharmacist who volunteered, BT Planner, Risk Communicator, presentation with focus on local response which also developed into something larger.

**Notes:**
Roles they can play as volunteers discussed, recruited several that evening and will provide future training for smallpox and another outcome is working with larger pharmaceutical organizations i.e.: Pathmark representative willing to put our article on MRC in his newsletter and potentially inform thousands of pharms in eastern region

## Basic Training

- Introduction To Disaster
- Biological Agents
- Home preparedness
- Overview of Blood Borne Pathogens
- Case Scenario
- Roles/Responsibilities

**Notes:**
Required training for volunteers offered day and evening, over 2 days in 3 hour segments. Deployment issues, actual responsibilities of each partnering agency to avoid duplication of efforts.

## Training continuedAncillary Issues

- Identification
- Liability Issues
- Licensure/security clearance
- Deployment/Facilities

**Notes:**
Pictures taken for ID, provided T-shirts. Additional training with take home options include Mass Care an Overview, invited to CDC webcast, press release on training and quotes from volunteers.

**Notes:**
Our first training offered in day and evening segments.  This part of a case scenario they were given to identify roles they could play mix of medical and non-medical in groups.

## Basic Training Lessons Learnedand Volunteer Feedback 

- Need Detailed Volunteer Descriptions
- Create check Lists for Volunteers
- More training that includes Simulations/Case Scenarios
- Local focus vs. State focus
- Personal Identity to MRC

- Satisfied with liability issues
- 90% willing to volunteer out of town
- 26% willing to volunteer out of county
- Deployment and notification issues
- Medical vs. Non-Medical training

**Notes:**
Discuss outcomes: Want clear, concise direction re: responsibilities and deployment and notification as you know not always accurate as issues arise during an emergency.
Enjoyed and found case scenario most useful. Want more training, want to become more involved
Several volunteers interested in joining other citizen corps initiatives but majority want to be an MRC Volunteer, not Red Cross etc.
Surprised not concerned with liability issues

## Future Volunteer Recruitment Efforts

- United Way Corporation Volunteer projects
- Somerset County Patriots Baseball project
- Presentations to local community groups
- Newsletters to professional organizations
- Sustain and Increase Media Coverage
- Recruit County employees

**Notes:**
In addition to the ongoing projects already discussed. Also working with other schools of higher education to prepare community health and public health students : roles they can play, responsibilities etc.
Discussion continues on county employees role as MRC Volunteer vs. Mandatory Response 

## Volunteer Retention Efforts

- Respond to requests for additional training
- Utilize Volunteers to assist with educating community
- Invite Volunteers to provide training in areas of expertise
- Utilize Volunteers to assist with future projects
- Communication through LISTSERVE

**Notes:**
Examples: Ascertain skills they possess and utilize them; recognition 
Invite volunteers to attend recruiting efforts; i.e.: Patriots Stadium Day on Sept. 11th; 
Physician Volunteer to write newsletter article to other physician groups in county
Event planner offered to assist with creating the check list
Keep them informed and up to date with local vs. state initiatives.

## Ounce of Planning...Pound of Cure

- Ensures:
- Rapid volunteer mobilization
- Prepared trained volunteers
- Stronger medical response capacity
- Improved surge capacity at the community level
- Rapid communication with residents
- Empowered volunteers to work effectively and safely during emergency situations

**Notes:**
Strengthen medical response capacity with community volunteers who represent a broad range of medical / health professions
        Create ‘surge capacity’ at the community level to handle emergency situations where the health of the population is at risk
        Enable local current or retired health professionals to obtain additional training needed to work effectively and safely during emergency situations OUNCE OF PLANNING = POUND OF CURE...