Resources for response

Col. Wayne Nelson, Department of Health Science (right) and Acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu (Photo courtesy of Wayne Nelson)

TU co-sponsored Medical Reserve Corps integrates emergency preparedness resources

by Stuart Zang

The Baltimore County Emergency Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) will use a grant from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to improve coordination with other regional public health and emergency response groups.

Formed under a partnership between TU, the Maryland Military Department’s Defense Force (MDDF) and the Baltimore County Health Department, Baltimore County’s MRC identifies, prepares and organizes medical and allied health volunteers to provide mass crisis support to existing local emergency first responders. In 2004 the MDDF decided to organize a medical reserve corps in the Baltimore County area that would provide a local, county focus to emergency response support.

Since its formation, the Baltimore County MRC has been funded primarily through in-kind support from consortium members. Col. Wayne Nelson, deputy director of medical services for the MDDF and TU professor of health science, says the unit will spend the $10,000 NACCHO grant on recruiting and publication materials, conferences, basic medical equipment and for seeking out additional grants.

At present the MRC is providing mental-health assessments to Maryland National Guard troops returning from Iraq through the Department of Defense’s Post-Deployment Health Reassessment Program. The MRC’s clinical medical staff and mental health staff, including Nelson, Maj. Christina Harnett, Eepartment of Psychology, and Maj. Elizabeth Austin, Department of Nursing, conduct screenings six months after guardsmen return from their tours of duty. “Not surprisingly, we’re finding fairly high level of need among returning troops,” says Nelson.

The Baltimore County MRC’s impressive accomplishments have attracted national attention and should help it in developing additional funding. At a recent MRC conference, acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu thanked the unit for its work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—it was the only MRC to serve as a cohesive unit, treating over 6.000 patients—and for its ongoing emergency preparedness and health infrastructure support efforts.

“Rear Admiral Mortisugu said our MRC reflects the synergy that comes from successful bonds among academic, military and public health entities,” Nelson recalls. “He was very impressed by our unit’s record and the possibilities such strong partnerships hold for the future.”

[back to main article index]