Medical Reserve Corps AHEC South Arkansas

History of MRC
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) 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 MRC is a partner program of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Peace Corps are all part of the President's USA Freedom Corps, which promotes volunteerism and service throughout the nation.

MRC units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers – medical professionals and others – who want to donate their time and expertise to promote healthy living throughout the year and to prepare for and respond to emergencies. MRC volunteers supplement existing local emergency and public health resources. The responsibilities of MRC volunteers vary, depending on the nature of the needs in the community.

Purpose of MRC
The purpose of the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) is to strengthen our community by establishing a system for non-medical and medical health volunteers to offer their expertise throughout the year, as well as during times of need.

Mission of AHEC South Arkansas' MRC
The mission of AHEC South Arkansas’ MRC is to provide support and resources to our existing Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and to protect the Medical Center of South Arkansas from becoming overburdened in the event of a community disaster.

For additional information on the AHEC South Arkansas’ MRC, contact Kim Havard.

For additional information on the national MRC, visit http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/HomePage