Agencies
Services
Illinois Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
IDPH coordinates and promotes the formation and maintenance of medical reserve corps units in Illinois. The Medical Reserve Corps of Illinois (MRCIL) was formed in 2004 as a means of sharing information and coordinating life- and property-saving efforts between MRC units in Illinois. Since that time their coalition has grown significantly with the addition of many more units, 77 units and 7050 volunteers in Illinois.
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises 1006 community-based units and 205,712 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories.
MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to community health activities that promote healthy habits.
Every MRC unit is led by a local MRC Unit Coordinator, who matches local volunteer capabilities and schedules with local needs for both emergency responses and public health initiatives. Many MRC members are just like you – nurses, doctors, pharmacists, therapists, public health officials and other community members who believe in keeping your local area healthy, prepared and resilient. They share your commitment to helping others and making a difference. You may also work closely with staff members from the local health department, emergency management agency, hospital or other organizations that partner with the MRC. In fact, the services that you provide may help these other organizations to meet their mission.
MRC units can be started in communities that do not have one or any, and because each community is different, its approach to establishing an MRC unit will be different as well. To establish an MRC unit, you must first contact Illinois’ State or Regional MRC Coordinator.