Whatcom County Medical Reserve Corps
Dedicated to establishing teams of local medical and public health professionals to volunteer their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need.
FALL H1N1 UPDATE
WHERE WE'LL HELP: If this fall flu season goes as predicted, the MRC will be involved with flu response this fall. There are several areas where we are already in the official plans. 1) A phone triage call center. We'd help identify who needs medical treatment, where they can get it, or give home care instructions. 2) Prevention training. We would teach community groups how to recognize the flu, how they can minimize their risk of getting it, when to seek medical care and how to treat it. 3) Alternative Care Center. If the hospital is full, an alternative care center may be opened to care for the less critically ill, who can't be at home. We'd help staff and run this center. 4) Vaccine Clinics. At this time, the health care community and Whatcom County Health Dept. are trying to distribute and administer vaccines through traditional means (dr's offices, pharmacies, clinics.) However, we may be called on to help at some point.
H1N1 BASICS: Symptoms of the H1N1 virus are very similar to seasonal flu symptoms (headache, fatigue, cough, achy, cough, fever, etc.) It is estimated that 95-99% of the flu in the community is the H1N1 virus. In addition, current projections show 30% of the population could get sick. Pregnant women, the very young, and those with pre-existing conditions (such as asthma, obesity, lung & heart disease, neurological disorders, immunosuppression, diabetes...) tend to be the hardest hit by the H1N1 virus. Interestingly enough, it appears that those over age 60 are less susceptible to it. The latest recommendation is that the vaccine should be administered in two doses to small children and in one dose to everyone else. This is good news. It means we'll be able to vaccinate nearly twice the number of people and compliance will be higher. The vaccine will begin rolling out sometime in early Oct. High risk populations will be the first to get the vaccine.
PREPARATION: Our community is really counting on us to be ready and able to help. Take care of yourselves. Eat well. Rest. Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Encourage others to take these same steps. Please be an advocate and ambassador for good hygiene; there is lots of confusion out there. Also, make your plans now on how your family will function if you are called to respond. You are vital to help our friends and neighbors if the flu hits hard this fall.
Swine Flu Information
The King County Public Health Reserve Corps (their version of the MRC) has a role in swine (H1N1) flu preparedness in their region. See coverage of their involvement on King 5 News. Continue to watch the Whatcom MRC web site for details of similar programs in our region.
Partners from Whatcom County, City of Bellingham, and St. Joseph Hospital have activated a Unified Command structure to monitor and respond if necessary. At this time, the Medical Reserve Corps has not been activated but is included in regular updates. MRC members are encouraged to promote good respiratory hygiene and hand washing practices in their communities. As always, new members are welcome to join the MRC by completing the application found on this website.
Washington State Department of Health has issued this downloadable fact sheet (versión en español). Additional information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ and at http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/
Mission
The mission of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is to allow local volunteer medical and health professionals to contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need. Our Medical Reserve Corps unit is made of medical and health volunteers who can assist our community during emergencies, such as an earthquake or influenza epidemic.
Benefits to the Community:
Major local emergencies can overwhelm the capability of first responders, especially during the first 12-72 hours. Having citizens who are prepared to take care of themselves, their families and others during times of crisis will allow first-responders to focus their efforts on the most critical, life threatening situations.
An organized, well trained Medical Reserve Corps unit means that volunteers can effectively respond to an emergency, are familiar with their community's response plan, know what materials are available for their use, know who their partners in the response are, and know where their skills can be utilized to their best advantage and in a coordinated manner.
An Organized Team Approach
During an emergency, Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham (and other jurisdictions) will activate their Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). This plan defines how emergency personnel (fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and others) will respond to and manage the emergency. Spontaneous volunteers may hinder rescue efforts because they may not be familiar with local plans or procedures.
By creating a Medical Reserve Corps unit that is linked to Whatcom County's Health Department Emergency Response Plan the members of the Medical Reserve Corps can truly benefit the community by knowing what their role is during an emergency, how they fit into the emergency plan, and how best to respond so that they are a positive support structure for the first responders. Learn more about the History of the MRC.