| 
Questions:
Answers:
What
is the registry?
It is a database of health professionals and
other volunteers who have registered to volunteer in the event of
a medical emergency or public health event with a Virginia Medical
Reserve Corps unit or with a health district in their locality.
[top
of page]
Which
health care professionals are you targeting with the registry?
Health professionals from all of the health
occupations, those who are licensed or trained either practicing
or not practicing and those who wish to receive general, all-hazards
training as well as training for specific health events. Also targeted
are all interested people from the community who could provide support
such as those with multi-language skills, administrative skills,
transportation training, etc.
[top
of page]
What
other types of volunteers are you looking for?
Volunteers who do not have formal (or any
medical training) are welcome and encouraged to apply with the Medical
Reserve Corps. Although our focus is medical emergencies, there
will be a great need for volunteers with a variety of skills and
expertise. These volunteers also will receive general, all-hazards
training and training for specific health events so that they can
be prepared to help in some way, using their own special skills
and abilities, in a health emergency.
[top
of page]
How
many people will be needed?
This will be dependant on the emergency
and the needs of the community. In Virginia, we are striving to
register and train as many volunteers as possible, so that, should
an emergency of any kind occur, volunteers would already be registered
and ready to be alerted and called into service, as needed.
[top
of page]
What
do I have to do to register?
You can register on-line at www.vamrc.org
or by contacting your local or county Medical Reserve Corps, or
public health district and they will contact you with more information
about how your skills could best be used in an emergency.
[top of page]
Can
I register if I'm not currently licensed or practicing in a medical
field?
Yes. Some of the positions for volunteers
will require licensure, to protect the volunteer as well as to ensure
the best care for those in need of medical care. If you are retired
or are not currently working in a health care field but could get
a license reactivated quickly, it will be possible to serve in a
medical position. Even if you do not wish to reactivate your license,
the MRCs could call you in a disaster situation. In the event of
a disaster, those with prior medical expertise could serve as medical
interviewers, clinic coordinators, and so forth. In addition to
licensed medical personnel, there will be many needs for unlicensed
health professionals as well as a need for those without medical
training. The Medical Reserve Corps plans to provide training in
emergency response and other related training to all volunteers
registered in advance.
[top of page]
Can
I register if I am currently a hospital employee or am a licensed
provider working for another health care facility? Do I report
first to the MRC or to my employer?
Your first responsibility is to your employer.
You report there first, as usual. If you wish to volunteer and your
employer agrees to release you or agrees to allow you to volunteer,
we hope you will make yourself available and report to your MRC.
[top
of page]
Am
I responsible for volunteering with the MRC if my employer needs
me or I have family commitments that do not allow me to volunteer
at the time of an emergency?
As
an MRC volunteer, you should expect to be called to help in a health
emergency. You should be as prepared as possible, and prepare your
family, too so that you will be available to help. But work and
family commitments are understood. We hope you will plan ahead and
be prepared to assist in your community with the Medical Reserve
Corps, should an emergency occur.
[top
of page]
How does the registry work in relation to other volunteer service
organizations in my community, such as the American Red Cross or
Salvation Army? What about other Medical Reserve Corps?
The Registry is coordinated with other Virginia
Medical Reserve Corps. The information you enter about yourself
in this registry will be kept confidential but will be available
to your local Medical Reserve Corps or public health district. The
information in the registry will be included in the Virginia state
registry of health professional volunteers. Volunteer skills can
be shared throughout the state for the purposes of finding volunteers
with specific skills, when needed. Other organizations may contact
us, when a need arises, to inquire about the volunteers who are
registered, but they will not have direct access to the data base
or your information. The Virginia Department of Health will work
closely with other emergency response groups, such as the Red Cross,
Citizen Corps and others to coordinate volunteers in an emergency.
Naturally, no distribution to groups outside of government or beyond
the disaster field will occur without your express permission.
[top of page]
What kind of training will I get for dealing with medical emergencies?
Your local Medical Reserve Corps or local
public health district staff will review your information and will
be contacting you to inform you of required or suggested training
needed for an emergency response.
[top
of page]
Does
registering legally obligate me to volunteer in an emergency?
No. This is a voluntary registry and does
not obligate you to assist in an emergency or any other situation.
At the time there is an emergency, you may be alerted or called
and asked to volunteer. The decision you make, at that time about
volunteering, is up to you.
[top of page]
Are
there any provisions for compensating me for time lost from work
or other expenses?
At this point, there are no provisions for
compensating volunteers for time lost from work, mileage, meal costs,
etc. In the event of an emergency, there may be provisions available
but these will need to be defined at the time of the event, based
on the situation.
[top of page]
What
protection might be available for volunteers against liability lawsuits?
In 2005, the Virginia General Assembly passed
Housebill 2520 to ensure additional protection for MRC volunteers.
Volunteers who are registered and called to a health event
by a Virginia Medical Reserve Corps and volunteer under the direction
of the Virginia Department of Health receive some coverage under
the state, when they are involved in state sanctioned and directed
programs. Similar protections apply to volunteers under Medical
Reserve Corps directly tied to city or county government organizations
when directed by representatives of those government agencies. The
federal government has given certain liability protection to narrow
groups of health service providers, as occurred during the national
smallpox vaccination program last year, under a Homeland Security
Act declaration by Health and Human
Services (HHS), Secretary Tommy Thompson. During declared emergencies
there is some protection under the Good Samaritan Act and the Volunteer
Protection Act. Broader volunteer protections under the federal
government are being developed. You should not be placed in
a position by any MRC to perform any task or skill that is outside
of your existing scope of practice or experience and volunteers
should protect themselves by only working within their scope of
practice or skill at all times.
[top
of page]
Will
I be asked to volunteer for an emergency event outside of Virginia?
This registry is being kept in case of emergencies
within the state of Virginia. However, the National Medical Reserve
Corps and other disaster response agencies have contacted us during
emergencies, such as the Katrina disaster; and you may be offered
opportunities to join other organizations and assist in other states.
Your service during such incidents is, of course, entirely voluntary.
[top
of page]
What
is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)?
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact,
ratified by Congress and signed into law in 1996, is an interstate
mutual aid agreement that provides a mechanism for sharing personnel,
resources, equipment and assets among states during emergencies
and disasters. EMAC has traditonally been used by states for
National Guard and emegency management assistance. More recently,
it was used to provide public health assistance during the 2005
hurricane season with much success.
[top
of page]
How will I be contacted in an emergency?
When you register, you will be asked for the
best ways to contact you. You will be asked to provide your email
address, home address and telephone numbers. Your local or county
public health agency will use this information to contact you both
before and in the event of an emergency. Therefore, it is very important
that you keep your contact information current. After your initial
registration you will be able to re-enter your personal record in
the Registry with a password, and be able to update it as often
as you need to. You will receive instructions on how to do this
after you register.
[top
of page]
What
if I am already working at a local hospital or am currently obligated
to serve in a branch of the military?
If you have other priorities to work or volunteer
in an emergency, please let us know on the registration form. If
you are normally subject to recall during a disaster that fact should
be noted on the registry.
[top
of page]
What
kind of risks will I be exposed to if I volunteer?
Volunteers may be needed in many different
types of emergencies, which could include natural or manmade disasters,
terrorist attacks that may be chemical, biological, or radiological,
or other emergencies. Before being asked to volunteer, you will
be given training on how to help in an emergency, as well as how
to protect yourself. In any case, you will not be asked to attempt
or perform any work for which you are not trained or prepared. Again,
your service to the MRC is voluntary and it is your responsibility
to perform within your scope of practice and skill.
[top
of page]
If
I become injured or sick as a result of the volunteer work, is there
any provision for my medical care and related expenses?
Virginia MRC volunteers are protected under
the Volunteer Protection Act, and Virginia's Risk Management Plan.
In the event that a volunteer is injured or becomes ill during or
because of a declared emergency, volunteers should notify their
supervisor so that proper steps can be taken to provide care and
coverage for the volunteers under the state's risk management plan.
Additional protections may be afforded by individual localities.
Protections outside of an emergency vary with the service being
performed. Virginia offers
protectiion to volunteers, acting under the direction and control
of a state agency, similar to the protection offered to state employees.
[top
of page]
If
I have concerns once I have volunteered, whom do I contact?
Your local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) administrator or your local
public health district or the state VDH Volunteer Coordinator, Kim Allan at Kim.Allan@vdh.virginia.gov or 804-864-7036. See
the “Volunteer Locally” and “Contact Information”
links on this web site for additional contact information.
[top
of page]
How
will I be able to update my information?
At this time, to update your information, you will need to re-register
and modify your record at that time. The next phase of this website
will allow you to update your own information and access additional
volunteer information through this web site. In the next phase of
this web site, you will also receive periodic reminders to check
the accuracy of your profile. Please check your information periodically
and keep us informed of any changes to any of this information.
[top
of page]
Who will have access to this information?
Your local MRC or public health district, the Virginia Department
of Health and its federal, regional, and local partners involved
in planning, investigating, or controlling a public health emergency
will have access to information about your skills as necessary.
This information will not be available to the public for any purpose.
Naturally, no distribution to groups outside of government or beyond
the disaster field will occur without your express permission.
[top
of page]
What kind of tasks will I be assigned?
The local MRC or public health district reviewing the information
submitted in the registry will make an assessment of individual
capacity, existing medical specialty, training needs, and appropriate
assignments. You may be assigned a medical or non-medical role based
on your qualifications, training, and interests to assist in health
events in your locality.
[top
of page]
What
will be the level or length of volunteer commitment in an emergency?
You will be given more information on deployment when you are contacted
by your local public health agency, and will be given an opportunity
to evaluate or decide upon your ability and willingness to volunteer,
in each event. However, your service is entirely voluntary.
[top of page]
|
