The page provides information and the tools to request and mobilize volunteers to provide long-term care and medical surge support needed for COVID-19 response in the Commonwealth. It will be populated and updated with resources as they are available or are modified.
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) staffing support considerations for Long Term Care Facilities:
- MRC volunteers are not a long-term staffing solution. LTCF should expect to receive support for no longer than 2 weeks. This should allow time for staff to return to work and to find additional staffing resources.
- Volunteers are not immediately available once you submit a request. It could take up to 72 hours before volunteers arrive to your facility, if MOUs and coordination has not occurred prior to the request.
- Provision of lodging in a hotel during or after deployment may be needed. Facilities need to take this in consideration for volunteers and staff.
- You may hire volunteers. If you would like to advertise paid positions, we can distribute your advertisement.
- The facility is responsible for providing liability coverage, supervision and training for volunteers that are working at the facility.
- We can not guarantee that the types of volunteers will be needed for your request. There is more limited capacity in rural areas and we have a limited number of CNAs. We will do our best to fill your request with the volunteers available and willing to support.
Most volunteers are NOT provided with workers compensation currently, please consider:
- The option to hire volunteers as staff or contractors and provide workers compensation.
- Placing MRC volunteers in positions providing care to non-COVID patients and paid staff in COVID positive areas.
- The City of Chesapeake has passed Workers Comp Authorization by Resolution (1) – City of Chesapeake to provide workers compensation to MRC volunteers.
Here are the basic steps for requesting volunteers:
- Facilities wishing to request staffing support should complete this REQUEST MRC SUPPORT – COVID-19.
- The regional COVID-19 MRC Coordinator will provide you with the template MOU for edit and signature. Once signed by the facility, the MOU should be returned to the regional coordinator for final approval by the Virginia Department of Health.
- Once a request is received, you will be contacted by one of the regional COVID MRC Deployment Coordinators to review information, finalize the MOU, facilitate the request and mobilization of volunteers with the MRC unit coordinators.
The COVID-19 MRC Medical Surge Coordinator is Lean Abdelaziz who can be reached at Northwestregion@vamrc.org.
The State Volunteer Coordinator is Jennifer Freeland, who can be reached at jennifer.freeland@vdh.virginia.gov.