Southwest District Health

Southwest Idaho Medical Reserve Corps

Southwest District Health has established a Medical Reserve Corps unit to help with our emergency planning and response program. The Corps is a community-based program and functions as a specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers, dedicated to making sure their families, homes, and communities are safe from terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds.

The purpose of our Medical Reserve Corps is to recruit, train, and educate emergency medical and non-medical support staff to assist Washington, Adams, Canyon, Emmett, Gem, and Owyhee counties to prepare and respond to public health emergencies.

What is the Medical Reserve Corps?
Medical Reserve Corps units are made of locally based, licensed medical and public health volunteers who can assist their communities during emergencies, such as an influenza epidemic, chemical spill, act of terrorism or any public health emergency in Washington, Adams, Canyon, Emmett, Gem, and Owyhee counties.

Medical Reserve Corps volunteers also offer education and prevention services to improve the public health infrastructure of their neighborhoods and communities.

The mission of SWIMRC is to establish a team of volunteer medical and public health professionals who are willing to contribute their skills and expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need with the primary goal to preplan, train, and respond to any event which may impact the health of our community. It takes all of us!

What kind of training is needed?
Volunteers will learn how the Southwest Idaho Medical Reserve Corps functions during an emergency, and will receive specific training to provide staff support during public health emergencies. An understanding of biological agents and their effects on people, animals, or the environment is critical in understanding how to respond in a public health emergency.

Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of trainings (START triage and Incident Command) held on a quarterly basis. Volunteers can participate in education and training opportunities offered by Southwest District Health by registering through the volunteer center as a public health volunteer.

Who can volunteer with the Southwest Idaho Medical Reserve Corps?
All licensed medical professionals and Emergency personnel are invited to apply to become members.

Anyone interested in participating please contact (208) 455-5377.

General Volunteer Position Descriptions

The Nurse Volunteer - Performs clinical evaluations in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information, counseling, and patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may also conduct physical exams and evaluations, and dispense medication under the supervision of a physician or pharmacist. These volunteers may administer vaccinations and provide medical counseling to patients, or work with medical supply inventories. Licensed clinical volunteers may also be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients or stocking of supplies.

The Physician Volunteer - Performs a range of physician services in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information counseling, patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may administer vaccinations, dispense medication, provide medication counseling to patients, and may consult with public health staff to determine the need for isolation. Physician volunteers may also be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients.

The Pharmacist Volunteer - Performs pharmaceutical services in an emergency clinical setting. Tasks for volunteers in this category may include medical information counseling, patient screening, and assisting patients with completion of forms. These volunteers may package and dispense medication, provide patient counseling on medications, and consult with other medical volunteers. These volunteers may also consult with public health staff to determine the need for additional medications, or the need for isolation. Pharmacist volunteers may provide inventory and security of medications or education and may be asked to perform non-clinical functions, such as providing general assistance to patients.

For more information, please contact:
Southwest District Health Office of Public Health Preparedness
920 Main Street Caldwell, Idaho 83607
208) 455-5324

Application for Employment & Volunteer Agreement (Adobe PDF)
Southwest Idaho Medical Reserve Corps Registration Form (Adobe PDF)