Mountain Regional MRC Deploys to Disaster Areas - In May, the Asheville (NC) Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC) received a request to deploy to the Mississippi River flood disaster in Memphis, TN. Peggy Handon, the North Carolina MRC State Coordinator, notified MRC unit coordinators that the ARC needed additional volunteers. As a result, in May and June, several Mountain Regional MRC (NC) volunteers who are also ARC volunteers were deployed to disaster areas in Alabama, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee.

Judy Hughes, RN, deployed to Birmingham, AL, to contribute to relief efforts in response to tornadoes that devastated the state in April. Hughes worked with the Integrated Care Team at the city’s ARC headquarters for 2 weeks and provided client casework and disaster health services. She provided aid to the families of 6 fatalities and visited the seriously injured and their families. Hughes says, “In Hale County (AL), the tornado literally obliterated Sawyerville…The disaster aid distribution centers (and places to apply for assistance) were located some 20 or more miles away, and the majority of people that I saw needing such assistance had no way to get there to apply for it.” Pat Gill, RN, was deployed to Memphis and Baton Rouge, LA, to assist with flood relief efforts. Gill worked at the local ARC headquarters in both cities. In Memphis, approximately 28 patients were seen at the shelter; in Baton Rouge, Gill served as a staff health nurse on call.

Jan Lounsbury, RN, deployed to Memphis and assisted the ARC nurses with outreach and organizing medical supplies to be sent to shelters. Lounsbury assisted with replacing lost items (e.g., medication, glasses) and provided backpacks containing supplies such as blankets and first aid kits as well as information regarding public health concerns (e.g., how to make water safe to drink after a flood).
In June, Hank Jaeger, an emergency medical technician, deployed to Springfield, MA, for 2 weeks to contribute to relief efforts after multiple tornadoes struck western and central Massachusetts. He treated 19 patients and served as part of a strike force team that provided mental health support, house repairs, food and water, and supplies to 150 people. Jaeger says, “We came across a graduation party being held at a residence that was completely demolished with the exception of the still standing garage. The party was held in the driveway with portable generators in use—that was sad.”


Click the links to download printable materials for the Mountain Regional Medical Reserve Corps.  (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Newsletter - May 2011

Newsletter - February 2011
 

Mountain Regional Medical Reserve Corps Brochure

Member Handbook

Asheville , NC – Members of the Mountain Regional Medical Reserve Corps met at Ryan’s Family Steakhouse on Saturday, October 23, 2010, for a three hour meeting with members of the MRMRC and prospective members.  During the meeting, MRMRC Director Bill Bradley explained the Hearts With Hands™ role in sponsorship of the MRMRC along with proposed goals and objectives.  MRMRC Coordinators Jan Lounsbury and Mike West explained training requirement, recruitment procedures and gave an overall plan being implemented to reach the projected goals of the MRMRC under the new sponsorship of Hearts With Hands™  Many questions from the members were answered as far as response criteria and how the day to day operations of the MRMRC would change under the sponsorship of Hearts With Hands™. 

According to MRMRC member Hank Jaeger from Haywood County, “I am excited to get answers about the overall sponsorship of the MRMRC under Hearts With Hands™ and from what I have heard today,  my questions have been answered and I feel confident in our new leadership.  They {Hearts With Hands™} has a proven track record and I am assured after today’s meeting the MRMRC will move forward in a positive direction.” 

The next meeting to familiarize members with Hearts With Hands™ will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, October 30, 2010, at Shoney’s in Franklin located at: 1024 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC.  All current and prospective members are encouraged to attend.




The Medical Reserve Corps was founded after President Bush's 2002 State of the Union Address in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country.  The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a partner program with Citizens Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security.  The Citizen Corp objective is to ask citizens to take personal responsibility to be prepared; to get training in first aid and emergency skills; and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and to promote community preparedness and safety.

The Mountain Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council (MATRAC), Western North Carolina's own regional trauma system dedicated to regional medical disaster response and preparedness is proud to announce that the Mountain Regional Medical Reserve Corps (MRMRC) is now under the directions of Hearts with Hands, says Debbie Gilbert, Regional Response Coordinator for MATRAC.  "We have worked with Hearts with Hands for years and turning sponsorship of the Medical Reserve Corps over to Hearts with Hands will enhance the ability and response capability of volunteers to serve where they are needed."

The Mountain Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council (MATRAC) is a team of volunteer health care professionals (both retired and active) as well as auxiliary medical professionals who are trained to assist local emergency responders and public health professionals in the Western North Carolina area and beyond.  The MRMRC is dedicated to serving in public health emergencies, mass casualty incidens, and personal and community disaster preparedness.  The MRMRC covers the seventeen western most counties of Western North Carolina.

Bill Bradley, Executive Director of Hearts with Hands, is excited about the arrangement and believes the MRMRC is a nice fit with Hearts with Hands.  "We have been operating since 1992, in disaster mitigation locally, nationally, and internationally.  This agreement is an opportunity for Hearts with Hands to strengthen our response throughout our local area, while being able to continue with disaster preparedness daily."

The MRMRC's largest response was to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the agency has assisted throughout the region with numerous training exercises and influenca inoculation clinics.  For more information about how you can be involved, contact Hearts with Hands at 800-726-9185.