Standardized Training to Improve Readiness of the Medical Reserve Corps: A Department of Health and Human Services Program under the Direction of the Office of the Surgeon General

摘要

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) was formed to provide a cadre of trained medical volunteers to support and strengthen the public health infrastructure and improve its' emergency preparedness level. Training policies and standards are left to the discretion of the local MRC coordinator so that the program maintains its flexibility to meet community needs. Training varies from unit to unit, and metrics do not exist to measure or evaluate training effectiveness. According to recent studies and surveys, disaster operations are an unfamiliar role for most MRC volunteers and the public health workforce in general, and few volunteers receive this important preparedness training. In 2005, MRC working group members developed a list of core competency recommendations to provide training guidance, but specific educational content to satisfy those competencies was not defined. This thesis offers specific training content guidelines and strategies for achieving the MRC preparedness goals. Establishing interim training standards will set the benchmark for future assessments and enable the MRC to respond at a consistently higher level to public health emergencies.