For Release: April 16, 2010
Contact: Pamela Williams                                    
Office of Communications                                    
405/271-5601

Caring Capable and Ready: The Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps Celebrates National Volunteer Week

April 17-24 is National Volunteer Week, a time to honor and thank current volunteers and to encourage potential volunteers to take action.   

The Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps is one of Oklahoma’s growing volunteer organizations.  It is an organization of medical and non-medical volunteers who contribute their skills and expertise during times of community need, such as disasters and emergencies. 

The Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) has responded to declared disasters in Oklahoma since 2004, and the need for volunteer support becomes evident in every response. 

“We have extremely dedicated volunteers throughout the state who will respond no matter what the situation and we can’t possibly do enough to let them know how valuable their service is to the people of Oklahoma.”, said Debra Wagner, Statewide Executive Volunteer Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health.  “The number of individual OKMRC units has doubled in the past year, and we are working to provide our volunteers with experiences that are valuable and rewarding to them as well as to their local communities.” 

MRC volunteers are involved in a variety of activities including outreach and prevention, immunization programs, blood drives, case management, care planning and emergency response. Volunteers also participate in training, which includes learning local emergency and health procedures, trauma response techniques, teamwork and use of specialized equipment.

Who are OKMRC Volunteers?

1. Practicing, retired or otherwise employed medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, pharmacists, nursing assistants, dentists, veterinarians and others
2. Public health professionals
3. Community members without medical training
4. Volunteer interpreters, chaplains, amateur radio operators, logistics experts, legal advisors and others

For more information about how to join your local Medical Reserve Corps unit, please visit www.okmrc.org.

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