SERV-OR, SMVP, MRC – OH MY!
Demystifying the types of volunteer management unit you can join in SERV-OR?
Have you ever pondered to no avail the purpose and difference between all the different volunteer units in SERV-OR? Have you asked yourself, “If I’m in SERV-OR can I be activated with my local MRC?” Or “If I’m in the MRC, will I get notified of statewide volunteer opportunities?” How about “What the heck is the SMVP???”
If these questions sound familiar, then you are not alone! Read along as we demystify the types of membership you may have as a member of SERV-OR.
The State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR) is the state’s roster of licensed healthcare professionals who have registered to volunteer in response to local, state, and/or federal emergencies. The registry includes the SERV-OR Volunteer Management Units (VMU) as defined below.
State Managed Volunteer Pool (SMVP): The group of SERV-OR volunteers managed at the state level. The SMVP has very specific membership requirements:
In the event of a Governor’s declared emergency or an impending public health crisis, members of the SMVP receive an alert from Oregon Health Authority staff requesting volunteers to standby or share availability for deployment. The state managed volunteers may be deployed to support a state-level operation or could be deployed by OHA to support a local or Tribal jurisdiction’s response.
All health care volunteers with an active or lapsed (within 10-years) state-issued healthcare credentials are eligible and encouraged to join this group, as well as a local MRC unit. The SMVP also participates in non-response activities throughout the year.
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC): The national 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.
MRC units are community-based and function to organize volunteers locally. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources. MRCs are often sponsored by a county, tribal, or community-based organization such as a local county health department or emergency management.
In the event of a locally declared emergency, MRC members may be alerted about volunteer opportunities by their unit’s sponsor organization. Each unit sets its own volunteer policies. Most units require volunteers to possess an active state-issued health care provider license, while a few will accept non-medical members. Some units accept volunteers from outside their host jurisdiction.
Many MRC units have regular local meetings, social opportunities, and/or non-emergency volunteer opportunities throughout the year. You can learn about Oregon MRC units and their requirements by visiting the national Medical Reserve Corps site and choosing Oregon from the state drop-down list. You can also view the minimum licensure and jurisdiction requirements for each MRC when you start the registration process at SERV-OR.org.
Additionally, as a SMVP and/or MRC member, you are welcome to join other volunteer organizations such as the American Red Cross (ARC) and the Oregon Disaster Medical Team (ODMT).
Sometimes MRCs and OHA/SMVP are both staffing an emergency site. In this case, you should respond to only ONE request for assistance and receive mission orders from that entity. This is important for tracking and accountability.
REMINDER: Do not self-deploy! While you may receive more than one request for assistance from OHA/SMVP and your local MRC, you may only respond to one and receive specific orders to be assigned to a mission.
Universally, SERV-OR volunteers must receive official orders to deploy by their Volunteer Management Unit (VMU) before volunteering. If you are notified of an opportunity, wait for official instructions to mobilize prior to responding.