Agenda - 11-18-2003-9b - Laserfiche WebLink

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i~ needs and problems. During the icf; storm at the beginning of this year, the OCHD worked closely with the local chapter of the. American Red Cross to staff shelters, but meeting the needs of all involved citizens was difficult due to a shortage of nurses and trained volunteers. The Orange County Chapter of the Ame:rican Red Cross establishes the shelters but does not provide staff or volunteers for Disaster Health Services. Instead, OCHD nurses are mandated to staff all emergency shelters, and a MRC unit is desperately needed to provide additional surge capacity to meet the needs of the communit:~ during times of need. Organizational Structure With creation of the Medic,~.l Reserve Corps underway, a planning body will be established under the auspices of the Orange County Board of Health (Appendix K - Membership Roster) and direction of the Health Director, Rosemary Summers (Appendix L - biographical sketch). This planning body will include representatives from the MRC and the Personal Health Services and Health Promotion and Education Divisions of the OCHD. Representatives from the following; entities will also be encouraged to join the planning body: Orange County American Red Cress, Orange County Departments of :Emergency Management and Social Services, tJNC Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy, the Latino community, the Disability Awareness Council, and the public at-large. The Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Coordinator will be a Public Health Nurse I position (Appendix M -Job Description) and will report to the Public Health Preparedness Coordinator once that position is supported by the County. In general, the Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for continued volunteer recruitment, credential verification, development of volunteer role descriptions, training, activation and deployment, program 8