Riverside County Medical Volunteer Program
Choosing
a link below will, in some cases,
take you off of this site
The Riverside County Medical Volunteer Program (MVP) is a community-based civilian volunteer initiative that utilizes local health care professionals and others to build and support the public health infrastructure of our community and address a wide range of challenges from public health education to disaster response.
- Active, inactive or retired health care professionals in good standing
- Mental health professionals
- Public health professionals
- Students of a health profession
Applicants are required to be in good health, at least 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license with access to an insured vehicle. They also agree to provide access to employment and professional credential information.
- Affiliation with an agency dedicated to promoting healthy living
- Gain satisfaction from supporting our community’s public health structure
- Acquire access to free training opportunities (many offering educational credits for medical volunteers)
- Receive priority prophylaxis (vaccinations or pharmaceuticals) in a declared public health emergency
- Develop knowledge of local and national emergency management procedures
- Be given the opportunity to respond to Federal or regional declared emergencies outside of our local jurisdiction
The Riverside County MVP supports the mission of the Riverside County Department of Public Health (DOPH) by promoting and protecting the health of all County residents and visitors in service of the well-being of the community.
During an emergency:
- Augment medical and support staff shortages at medical or emergency facilities
- Assist with the distribution or dispensing of pharmaceuticals
- Assist with surveillance and notification
- Assist staging area staff, both medical and non-medical
- Assist with immunization clinics, education, infectious disease outbreak support, and other duties
During times of non-emergency:
- Support the US Surgeon General’s Public Health Priorities (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/publichealthpriorities.html)
- Promote public health campaigns
- Staff first aid stations at community events
- Provide health screenings at health fairs
- Distribute health and preparedness information at local events
The Riverside County medical volunteer coordinator, with support from DOPH, facilitates the development, recruitment and management of program. Credentials of licensed and certified medical volunteers are confirmed through the Disaster Healthcare Volunteer system for California (DHVC). Non-medical volunteers are asked to provide references as well as employment and volunteer history.
Volunteers are recruited through:
- Word of mouth from current members
- Presentations to affiliates and potential response partners
- Information tables at health fairs and community events
- Presentations at local colleges and universities
- Speaking engagements at conferences
- Joint marketing with affiliated organizations
Individuals interested in applying to volunteer with the MVP may:
- Apply on-line at https://medicalvolunteer.ca.gov, or
- Download an application on the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) website http://www.rivcophepr.org/rcmrc and fax it to the medical volunteer coordinator at 1 (951) 358-7105, or
- Contact the program coordinator to apply over the phone 1 (951) 358-7100
Medical
California licensed healthcare professionals who meet local requirements may function within the scope of their licensure as directed by the County Health Officer or his designee.
Medical Support
Health professionals (other than medical volunteers) or students of a health profession that may provide support and/or complement patient care as directed by the County Health Officer or his designee.
Mental Health
California licensed mental health professionals who meet local medical volunteer requirements may function within the scope of their licensure as directed by the Health Officer or his designee.
Volunteer Options
Riverside County’s MVP offers three levels to serve as a medical volunteer. All volunteers registered in Riverside County will be entered into the DHVC system. Once registered, a volunteer can indicate a preference to be a local medical volunteer (e.g. only in Riverside County), a medical volunteer that can be deployed anywhere in California, or a volunteer that can be deployed as a federal asset. Volunteers can indicate a single preference for deployment (e.g. local only) or multiple levels (e.g. local and state or local, state, federal). Those volunteers that indicate a preference that includes a federal response will be registered as part of the Riverside County MVP.
The success of the MVP is based on the availability of its volunteers. Potential volunteers are asked to consider any limitations that may interfere with their availability to respond when needed.
During an emergency, volunteers may be needed during their normal work hours. Volunteers should discuss this possibility with their employer and understand their employer’s policies and procedures for. Non-emergency volunteer activities are performed in accordance with the volunteer’s schedule and should not interfere with a volunteer’s regular employment.
Volunteers agree to advise the program coordinator if:
- They will be out-of-town or otherwise unavailable for periods of two weeks or more
- Their ability to volunteer with the program is compromised and they are no longer available to serve as volunteer
All volunteers are required to complete the following courses:
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management model for command, control and coordination of an organization’s emergency response activities. It employs a management structure with defined responsibilities, clear reporting channels and common terms.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a core set of doctrines, principles, terminology and organizational processes. These were developed by the Department of Homeland Security to be used in the planning and response to any emergency event on the local, regional, state and national levels. This consistent national wide approach allows “Federal, State and local governments to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents of any size, cause or complexity.”
Following the completion of the online training and exam you will receive a certificate of completion to your personal e-mail address. Please forward the e-mail to Anthony Shaw (ashaw@co.riverside.ca.us) so the certificate may be copied for your file.
All volunteers will be registered as Disaster Service Workers (DSW) as set forth by California law. Under the DSW program, volunteers are given limited immunity from liability.
Volunteers will be registered as Disaster Service Workers. As such, they are eligible for Workers’ Compensation benefits as provided for by the State Legislature for injuries incurred while volunteering in an emergency or training.
All volunteers are required to read and sign a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Confidentiality Agreement, which will be retained in their medical volunteer file.
For more information on the medical volunteering contact the Riverside County Medical Volunteer Coordinator, Anthony Shaw, at 951 358-7100 or ashaw@co.riverside.ca.us
Volunteer FAQ
:: Medical Reserve Corps National Response
:: California Medical Volunteer Local/Regional Response
|
