Volunteerism is one of the strongest and most positive ways to display community spirit and love of your fellow man. It was with the trained and dedicated volunteers during many periods of disaster in this people in this nation have come through. Many volunteers have come to the Gulf Coast in the months after Hurricane Katrina to give of their skills and their time to those who are in desperate need. These volunteers have helped with housing rebuild and repair, psychological support and medical and dental care, to name a few areas of selfless giving.
Events such at Health and Recovery Weeks I and II in Jan/Feb 2006 and 2007 were activities in which large scale week long events focused on providing medical, dental and optical care. I was proud to be the New Orleans Health Department Project Manager of these outdoor clinics in Audubon Zoo in Uptown New Orleans and Operation Blessing Compound in New Orleans East respectively which permitted the care of over 8800 patients by more than 2000 volunteer individuals and from several volunteer organizations combined across both events with the provision of everything up to , dental cleaning and extractions, dentures and eyeglasses, prenatal care and HIV testing, wound care and preadmission evaluation and more.
But volunteers have provided many other services including the over 100,000 members of the more than 650 chapters of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) nationwide have participated in the Katrina experience at many points in the unfolding of this event in many locations on the Gulf Coast or at home. Other community activities and disasters of various kinds and preparation for the anticipated Pandemic Influenza provide focus for MRC planning and drills. Founded in 2002, the mission of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is to improve the health and safety of communities across the country by organizing and utilizing public health, medical and other volunteers. At the Medical Reserve Corps Leadership and Training Conference in Providence, Rhode Island in April 2007, Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral John Agwonobi encouraged MRC members interested in sharpening their skills to volunteer in locations where need is felt and experience can be obtained. Polling conference attendees indicated that interest in the Gulf Coast has not waned. Nor has New Orleans’ need for MRC members’ contributions diminished.
Opportunities for medical and dental professionals continue at locations in New Orleans where licensure and liability coverage are facilitated. Food and lodging may also be provided. Please contact the following individuals through the links below for more information regarding how you may be able to continue to volunteer your services in a clinic setting. Information regarding food and lodging can be obtained through these contacts.
To all volunteer members of the Medical Reserve Corps and the detailed officers of U.S. Public Health Service, thank you for your selflessness and generosity in the rebuilding of our city. We cannot thank you enough!
Evangeline Franklin, MD, MPH
New Orleans Health Department
Director, Clinical Services and Employee Health
New Orleans Regional Medical Reserve Corps Unit Leader
erfranklin@cityofno.com
For information about scheduling and lodging, contact:
Operation Blessing (for medical, dental and pharmacy opportunities)
www.ob.org
thomas.koehl@gmail.com
Common Ground Clinic (medical pharmacy opportunities)
www.cghc.org
rvadlamu@tulane.edu