Health Journal: The county’s Medical Reserve Corps

County’s Medical Reserve Corps in need of volunteers to help during crisis

BY BILL THOMPSON

“Responding to a crisis is very demanding, both physically and emotionally. More volunteers give us the ability to use our resources without burnout,” said Spirko. “I think if we could double our numbers in the upcoming year we would be in a good position. It’s not just about planning for current needs but future needs as well.” The MRC was born out of tragedy. In January 2002, just four months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then-President George W. Bush called for Americans to give back to their communities. He encouraged people to volunteer at least 4,000 total hours — or roughly the equivalent of two working years — “to the service of your neighbors and your nation.” They could do so, he said, through a new initiative called the USA Freedom Corps, which entailed three components: responding in case of a crisis at home, rebuilding local communities, and extending “American compassion” across the globe. With the shocking images of 9/11 still reeling in Americans’ minds, the first of Bush’s trinity of service coupled homeland after joining the department in March 2021. Prior to that, however, she was an MRC volunteer for 10 years. “I’ve enjoyed volunteering over the years and when the opening became available it seemed like an extension of that,” she explained. “I believe in the MRC program and I’m excited to see it continue.” “I get to work with a great bunch of people. Staff and volunteers are dedicated, hard-working individuals. It inspires me being around these individuals. MRC has always been a well-run organization and I want to make sure it continues for many years.” Currently, she manages 75 volunteers — about 85 percent of whom come from the medical or health care sectors. Demographically, the MRC has more women than men, and volunteers range in age from 20 to 80. They come from all over Marion County, and even include some snowbirds who participate when they are here. Spirko said they enlist in the MRC because of a sense of community and a drive to help others in times of need. But growing the ranks during the panIn mid-April a handful of folks gathered at the Ocala office of the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. They were there to hear a presentation about how to open and operate a special-needs shelter as a hurricane approaches. Not exactly the sexiest topic in the world, with talk of the “incident command structure,” how “shelterees” are designated by wristband colors and understanding that government specialty of which forms must be completed when. Still, it was important to them. For one thing, forecasters have recently predicted a busier-than-usual storm season in the Atlantic Ocean, meaning more potential opportunities to open such refuges from Mother Nature. But the attendees were volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps, or MRC, a little known but important component of the county Health Department that augments the agency’s mission in times of crisis, such as a hurricane or a pandemic. This month, DOH-Marion staff are marking the 16th anniversary of the MRC’s service to THIS ARTICLE IS 1976 WORDS. SHOULD BE HALF OF THAT. CUT 700 WORDS OR MORE PLEASE. Marion County — and seeking to recruit more demic has been a challenge. Spirko said she’s security with the critical need of a medically civic-minded volunteers who can help fill gaps added just one new member since September. skillful first-response in large-scale, disasthe agency’s own personnel cannot cover. She’s hopeful that as the pandemic trous episodes.

Lana Spirko serves as coordinator for transitions to become more endemic, more “America,” said Bush, “needs retired the MRC, a job she took over last September people will step up. doctors and nurses who can be mobilized in

major emergencies.”

Accordingly, the MRC began as a pilot project. Forty-two local units were started with volunteers from medicine, public health and other community-oriented pursuits.

In December 2006, Congress passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create what formally became known as the MRC. Its purpose was to provide an “adequate supply” of volunteers to help with a public health emergency at any level.

Across America since then, thousands of MRC volunteers have assisted with tens of thousands of hours of service during calamities such as the H1N1 flu outbreak, Hurricanes Sandy, Irma, Harvey and Maria, the Ebola scare, and California’s wildfires.

Marion County’s MRC started in May 2006. Over that time, it has responded to disease outbreaks and hurricanes, as well as helping local medical professionals train for biohazard incidents.

It was H1N1 that launched Joan Matlock’s service with the MRC.

Matlock is a retired nurse from Ocala. Prior to leaving the workforce a few years ago, she spent 10 years as an infection control preventionist at Munroe Regional Medical Center, now known as AdventHealth Ocala. Her duties included notifying DOH-Marion of diagnoses of reportable infectious diseases.

When the H1N1 outbreak occurred, she volunteered to help the department vaccinate people. “It was really fun to get to know people we had only known over the phone,” she recalled. Matlock also later helped the department during an outbreak of fungal meningitis.

Fast-forwarding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Matlock reached out to the department because she understood the gravity of what was coming. “With what I know, I contacted the Health Department and said, ‘What do you need?’”

While she had experience with contact-tracing, Matlock formally joined the MRC in December 2020, as COVID vaccines were rolling out.

“It was a great place to jump in and help,” said Matlock. “For me, it was a great way of to give back and felt like you were doing something for the community.”

She helped administer vaccines at the department’s campus and at Paddock Mall.

Matlock said her experience with the MRC rekindled the inspiration that first drew her into nursing. Accordingly, she added, she would “highly recommend” other medical professionals to get involved with the program.

“The Health Department is not that well-funded or overly staffed. You can’t expect them to keep up with everything. But people think it’s just going to be there,” she noted. “When things go south, who is going to step up?”

Serving with the MRC “doesn’t take a huge investment of time, but it makes an enormous difference,” added Matlock.

The pandemic also led June Benoit to become an MRC volunteer.

Previously a nurse practitioner for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Benoit

relocated to Marion County from Vermont in 2016. Although it was a retirement move, Benoit said she wasn’t ready to be idle. She did not know the MRC existed until she came across the program while searching the web for local volunteer opportunities. “I really believe in volunteering, serving the community and using my nursing experience. I really enjoy helping the public. I wanted to be involved and I was interested in public health. The MRC allowed for that opportunity, especially for nurses to come together and work. I’ve met some really incredible people,” said Benoit. She spent two to three days a week on average over a few months during 2021 assisting DOH-Marion with COVID-19 vaccines. “I really enjoyed it, meeting all the people and helping them feel comfortable, because the pandemic was so scary,” she said. Benoit also said she appreciated the level of skill and expertise she encountered while working alongside DOH-Marion staff, and the “very welcoming” atmosphere the department created. Benoit added that she leads a group of retired nurses in her community, Stone Creek, and also serves with its Community Emergency Response Team. In these spheres, she routinely champions volunteering. “I am always talking about different volunteering opportunities, including the MRC,” said Benoit. “I tell them there is a need to serve the community. And the MRC helps reduce the cost of services by utilizing volunteers. I also tell them they’ll feel so much of a reward. It keeps you active. You’re alive. You feel like you have a purpose. Being able to feel good about what you’re doing, and helping others, is really crucial.” DOH-Marion Administrator Mark Lander agreed about the value the MRC adds to the mission of protecting public health. “The MRC serves as a vital partner in our community. As we’ve seen the public health workforce shrink over the past few years, we’ve lost the ability for a rapid response in times of emergency. The MRC THIS ARTICLE IS 1976 WORDS. SHOULD BE HALF OF THAT. CUT 700 WORDS OR MORE PLEASE. gives us the additional resources needed to manage various types of events and are truly heroes of public health,” he said. According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials, or NA-