What is the Wellesley Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)?
The Wellesley Medical Reserve Corps (formerly Volunteer Reserve Corps) is a group of concerned residents with clinical or administrative skills who will assist the town's health department and other responders in a local, large-scale public health emergency. These volunteers also help at regular public health services/events such as flu clinics. MRC members attend trainings and occasionally engage in drills to reinforce the training they received. More volunteers are needed! If you are interested in learning more or joining, please contact MRC Coordinator Cheryl Lefman, clefman@wellesleyma.gov or call her at the health department, 781-235-0135. As a MRC member, you will be one of the most appreciated people in town.
MRC trainings have included:
· Informational Session
· Avian/Pandemic Flu
· Mass Dispensing Site Operations
· Personal Protective Equipment
· Mass Dispensing Sites and the Incident Command System
· Behavioral Health Issues
· Home Emergency Preparedness
· CPR/AED
· First Aid
· Working With Animals in Emergencies
· Working With Children in Emergencies
· Regional trainings and drills
In the News:
November 9, 2009
Flu Clinics Were a Success!
Thanks to Our Volunteers
The Wellesley Health Department (WHD) distributed its limited supply of seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 flu mist (nasal) vaccine at public clinics held last week. In addition, the WHD has begun to use its limited supply of injectable H1N1 vaccine to inoculate children with underlying medical conditions at the Middle and High School, and will begin vaccinating children with underlying medical conditions in the elementary schools in short order. Additional H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine is anticipated, and will be offered to the community as soon as it is received.
This challenging flu season which saw the arrival of H1N1 flu, stretched the resources of the Health Department to the max. Therefore, each time a clinic was scheduled, scores of resident volunteers from the Wellesley Medical Reserve Corps, and Service League were called upon to assist the staff. They helped answer the phones at the Health Department, and assisted with the organization and operation of the clinics. We could not have addressed this very complex flu season without their help. The volunteers have always supported the Health Department, but went above and beyond this past week.
In addition to the volunteers, the Wellesley Board of Health and Health Department would like to acknowledge and thank the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church which has repeatedly donated the space for the clinics, and various town departments including Bella Wong and the School Department, Police and Fire departments, Department of Public Works, Council on Aging, Town Clerk and Town Hall, Network Information Systems, and the Recreation department. We couldn’t have conducted the clinics without their help.
The Health Department conducted each flu clinic as an emergency preparedness training using the Incident Command System, to familiarize volunteers with the set up and operation of a dispensing site. Wellesley is fortunate to have such committed residents and town employees. It is reassuring to know that in the event of a local or state emergency, we have a trained and dedicated pool of volunteers to count on. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the near future.
Sincerely,
Mary Suresh
Mary Suresh, RN, MPH
Director, Wellesley Health Department
Town of Wellesley Participated in a Full-Scale Emergency Preparedness Exercise at
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care at Wellesley Gateway
On Saturday, September 12, 2009, health departments from Canton, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Norwood, Wellesley, and Westwood (emergency preparedness Region 4B, Sub-region 3), partnered with the Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness (HSPHCPHP) to conduct a benchmark exercise for their community’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers and other non-MRC volunteers. MRC volunteers are residents with clinical and non-clinical skills, who will assist their town’s health department and other first responders in the event of a local, large-scale public health emergency.
The exercise was held in Wellesley at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) at the Wellesley Gateway. Wellesley Health Department was the host agency. Staff from Wellesley’s Fire and Police departments participated in the drill. Objectives included: testing and assessing the ability of the host community’s health department to act as a lead agency, in the organization and implementation of an emergency dispensing site in their community; demonstrating the use of the Incident Command System during a public health emergency; delivering just-in-time training for volunteers, and overseeing delivery of screening, mass vaccinations, and care to “patients.”
Volunteers were apprised of a mock outbreak one day prior to the exercise, and asked to respond to the site (the next day) to set up and operate an emergency dispensing site for vaccinations. Upon arrival, participants were briefed about the fake outbreak, and received just-in-time training based on their assignments and roles.
According to lead facilitator Dr. Paul Biddinger, Associate Director of HSPHCPHP, "Public health leaders in these towns have planned and practiced diligently with their medical volunteers for several years to be ready in case of emergency.~ Today's exercise represents another successful example of how the two groups can work together to strengthen the communities' emergency preparedness."
Sub-region 3 has conducted full-scale, multi-community exercises in the past; one in 2006 at the Broadmeadow School in Needham, focusing on emergency dispensing site (EDS) operations, and the other in 2007 at the Norwood Civic Center, exploring the functionality of an Alternate Care Site.~ All the exercises were facilitated and evaluated by HSPHCPHP. For more information on emergency preparedness in the Town of Wellesley please visit www.wellesleyma.gov/health.
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