MRC: Public Health Interventions

1
MRC Public Health Interventions

• Upper Merrimack Valley Priorities
• Public Health Emergencies
• Local Experiences

2
UMV MRC Priorities

• NATIONAL Volunteers for Disaster Preparedness
  Surge Capacity!
• Hospitals, shelters, clinics triage treat
  on-scene
• UMV (and some others) All Hazards Response
• 1. Public Health Emergencies Medications
• - Influenza pandemic
• - Smallpox outbreak
• - SARS/Hepatitis/diseases
• - Bioterrorism (anthrax, other agents)

3
UMV MRC Priorities

• 2. Mass Casualty Incidents Injuries or Damage
• - Building collapse
• - Natural disaster (flood, snowstorm, other)
• - Chemical spill
• - Terrorist attack
• - Fire (emergency shelters)
• - Other large-scale crises
• 3. Option for Non-Emergency Contributions
• Community Service

4
UMV MRC Priorities

• Top recruitment priority medical professionals
  (practicing/retired)
• Physicians
• Physician Assistants
• Nurses (all levels)
• EMT/Paramedics
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Supporting contributors also pivotal (big tent)
• Volunteers trained in CPR and First Aid
• Administrative support, translators,
  counselors,
• Nursing/medical students

5
Local Threat Risks

• Killer flu 1918 Boston ? worldwide
• Worcester tornado in 1950s
• Blizzard of 1978
• Fires (Lawrence 2001) ? shelter support
• Prophylaxis ? disease outbreaks
• Earthquake predictions
• Floods, storms, terrorism, other

6
PH Emergencies in 2004

• Rash outbreak/TB March
• Small suburban community (29,000)
• Overwhelmed existing resources
• Sudden outreach to neighboring PH
• Hepatitis-A Exposure June
• Thousands of potential victims
• Relied on existing emergency plans
• Flu vaccine shortage November

7
Hepatitis-A Exposure
8
Local Experience Vaccination

• UMV MRC called for PH response
• 36 volunteers at 4 sites for flu clinics
• Immediate chance to test our wings
• - Initial methods for deployment
• - See members in action
• - Strengthen skills and commitment
• - Need for MRCs became more real

9
UMV Deployment

• Flu Clinic in Westford

10
UMV Deployment

• Chelmsford Clinic Set-up

11
UMV Deployment

• Tewksbury Phone Registration

12
UMV Deployment

• Tyngsboro Flu Clinic

13
UMV Affiliates

• Two staff members
• Sandy Collins, director wrote three-year grant
• Nancy Burns, coordinator day-to-day operations
• Partner with key agencies
• - UMV Coalition (bioterrorism funding through MA
  DPH)
• - Local BOH, police, fire, emergency mgt,
  hospitals
• - Red Cross (core training through local chapter)
• - FEMA, MEMA, Citizen Corps/CERT, other entities

14
Keep in Touch!

• Upper Merrimack Valley MRC
• Director Sandy Collins Coordinator Nancy
  Burns
• Scollins_at_westford.mec.edu nburns_at_westford.mec.ed
  u
• Westford Board of Health
• 978-399-2549 (direct) 55 Main Street
• 978-399-2531 (dept.) Westford, MA 01886
• www.MedicalReserveCorps.gov ?national
  site
• www.MerrimackValleyMRC.org ? local site