When over 200 medical professionals converged at the Marriott in Burlington, MA, on November 18 and 19 for the Ninth Annual New England Regional Trauma Conference, many learned about the national Medical Reserve Corps system for the first time. The event was sponsored by over a dozen major trauma centers throughout the region. Many of the speakers were recognized internationally for their contributions to the field.

Conference signage was displayed at each entrance.

The Upper Merrimack Valley MRC maintained a display in the exhibit area throughout the two-day conference. The unit had also submitted an abstract about the national MRC organization, which was accepted for poster presentations. The coordinator for the unit staffed the poster area during most of the breaks.

MRC Coordinator Nancy Burns answered questions during poster presentations.

This event allowed the coordinator to answer questions, as well as hand out brochures and copies of the abstract to interested attendees. Furthermore, the abstract was included as part of the conference CD, which was distributed to all registered participants.

Although the conference had been scheduled long in advance, no one could have predicted an event that boosted the MRC's special relevance: the closest local unit had been called to its first deployment the week before. Thus the poster displays were able to include very recent photos of MRC members in action, responding to a public health emergency. The handouts and informal presentations included a description of the actual response, while the abstract covered the three areas of focus for the units: mass dispensing of medications, mass casualty incidents, and community service initiatives.

The MRC maintained a display in the exhibit area of the conference.

Between the exhibit at one end of the conference hall, the poster presentations at the other end, and networking throughout the event, the MRC system was well represented to a new audience: trauma specialists who may play a role in regional mass casualty response!

A group of members who joined at the fourth and final Information Session, held at the Butler Middle School in Lowell on October 4, remained after the meeting for a photo.

When the word went out this fall about the need for a disaster medical corps in the Upper Merrimack Valley, volunteers rallied to sign up in droves. Four information sessions were held at strategic locations across the region, to make attendance as easy as possible for potential members. By the time the recruitment campaign was over, a whopping 170 recruits were enrolled.

Because a majority of these members are very busy people leading active lives, who still believe that keeping our communities safe is a priority worth making time for, the result is a testament to the spirit of these new members.

Many of the attendees had learned of the recruitment through a mass mailing, which was sent to medical professionals throughout the region, timed to arrive just after Labor Day. Others heard about recruitment through a media campaign involving cable TV, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. Still more found out through nearly 100 posters that were displayed in high-traffic areas, as well as by word of mouth. Some new recruits promptly encouraged their colleagues and even family members to join!

The first information session took place in Tewksbury on September 23. Following some welcoming remarks by Board of Health Director Thomas Carbone, Sandy Collins discussed the importance of local response and why she had agreed to serve as director for the new unit. A 15-minute video provided details about the national organization and plans for the local unit. Coordinator Nancy Burns recapped some main points with Powerpoint slides, and then led a lively question-and-answer session.

A banner at the entrance welcomed attendees to the information sessions.

Sandy Collins, MRC director, explains the public health benefits of the new unit to 52 Chelmsford attendees, all of whom joined that evening.

Another well-attended session took place in Billerica on September 28. The audience included a contingent of local police officers, as well as a variety of medical care providers. The largest session was held in Chelmsford on September 30.

More recruitment initiatives are planned for the future. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to join the unit is invited to send e-mail to nburns@westford.mec.edu or call 978-399-2549.

Graduating Class, October 23rd

October 23, 2004 was a day to remember for the first 20 graduates of basic disaster training for the Upper Merrimack Valley MRC. This core curriculum for the unit was provided by instructors from the American Red Cross.

Gary Whitten, director of emergency services for the American Red Cross of Merrimack Valley, with a Mass Care workbook.

The group completed a four-module series of classes designed for medical professionals, held in Westford on three consecutive Saturdays:

- Introduction to Disaster and
  Disaster Health Services Overview

- Mass Care Overview

- Disaster Health Services Simulation

The courses are similar to the program offered for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) members, though the focus for the MRC is geared more for medical care providers than laypersons.

New MRC members learn basic disaster concepts on October 4, the first day of their training.

To accommodate busy schedules, members were encouraged to take classes at their own pace. Some took advantage of the option to complete the introduction as a self-paced course at home. Others opted to finish all four modules in sequence, immediately qualifying them for deployments as MRC representatives at Red Cross operations, such as staffing emergency shelters.

Husband-and-wife team Rita and Doug Hart were instructors for several of the Red Cross modules.

Because the national MRC system is still fairly new, and the Upper Merrimack Valley members are recent recruits, there is great interest in gathering feedback on ways to tailor the core curriculum for future offerings. The attendees filled out evaluation forms at the end of each session, as well as a comprehensive feedback form after the last class.

Members were awarded graduation certificates and celebrated over a special cake.

Red Cross Instructor Rita Hart, RN, was given flowers in appreciation for her ongoing support of the new MRC -- through her willingness to represent the Red Cross at the MRC recruitment sessions, as well as providing initial disaster training for the new unit. Nancy Burns, MRC Coordinator, was also surprised with a floral arrangement by MRC Director Sandy Collins, for her efforts toward the information sessions and involvement in MRC training programs.

Brenda Cunningham, Dianne Morin, Pauline Ray, and Sharlene Locker received their certificates from Sandy Collins, Director of the Upper Merrimack Valley MRC.

Sandy Collins (right), an MHOA member and UMV MRC Director, with Brookline intern Melissa Cole (left) and MRC Coordinator Dawn Sibor.

The word is getting out through additional organizations that the MRC system is making inroads across the Bay State. The Massachusetts Health Officers Association invited two MRC coordinators - Dawn Sibor of Brookline and Nancy Burns of the Upper Merrimack Valley - to present at the MHOA 37th annual health conference. The event was held November 3 to 5 on Cape Cod, at the Four Points Sheraton Hyannis Resort.

MRC involvement was particularly relevant for this audience because the event was partially supported by a grant from the Department of Public Health. Topics pertaining to bioterrorism and emergency preparedness were prominent in the schedule, and Massachusetts DPH Commissioner Christine Ferguson was a featured speaker.

MDPH Commissioner Christine Ferguson gave the keynote address at the MHOA awards luncheon.

Over 450 representatives from health departments throughout Massachusetts convened for six concurrent programs that took place in five major tracks: Issues for Inspectors, Food, Environmental, Public Health/Nursing, and Septic. The session on The Medical Reserve Corps was part of the Public Health/Nursing program on November 4.

MRC Coordinators Nancy Burns (left) and Dawn Sibor, Brookline Emergency Preparedness Coordinator; (right), in the exhibit area with intern Melissa Cole.

Sixty-five attendees spent an hour in the largest ballroom at the conference to learn about the MRC system. Sandy Collins, RN, a long-term MHOA member as well as an MRC director, introduced the two speakers and displayed the Upper Merrimack Valley MRC training video.

Presentations by Burns and Sibor contrasted the approaches of their two entirely different units: urban Brookline, which is densely populated and situated near many world-class medical centers; and the suburban Upper Merrimack Valley, comprised of seven towns that vary in size and constituencies.

Joanne Martel, who serves on the Westford Board of Health, received an MHOA President's Award during the lunchtime ceremony.

The common theme was that each MRC must make decisions about its recruitment, training, and general organization based on the communities being served, as well as the characteristics of local care providers and resources. The question and answer session at the end was followed by many informal discussions.

As luck would have it, another MRC connection arose during the lunchtime festivities. Joanne Martel, an RN for the Andover public health department, also serves on the Westford Board of Health. (Westford is one of the seven communities in the Upper Merrimack Valley, and is the host agency for the local MRC.) Martel was surprised to receive a President's Award for her exemplary service in public health.

Another group of MRC members completed the Mass Care Overview on Thursday evening, October 28.

Thirty students comprised the second graduating class for the Upper Merrimack Valley MRC on November 18, 2004.

Rita Hart looks on as Gary Whitten explains a disaster scenario.

Because members were encouraged to sign up for sessions that worked best for their own schedules, many took some of their classes on Saturdays in Westford, opting to complete the rest of the four-module program on Thursday evenings at Cross Point Towers in Lowell. The courses were provided by instructors from the American Red Cross.

UMV Makes Strong Showing at Homeland Security Conference

Participants from the Westford area made a strong showing at the second annual New England Homeland Security conference. Fifteen representatives of the Upper Merrimack Valley public health coalition, plus three paramedics from the Lowell Area, attended a full day of sessions at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT on May 27.

Two of the dignitaries giving presentations were from the U.S. House of Representatives. Robert Simmons explained that effective ways to confront terrorism require “a new way of thinking,” with more inclusive cooperation among agencies.

Hundreds of attendees from private and municipal agencies convened at 8:30 a.m. for the opening sessions. The keynote speaker was John Henshaw, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health). Henshaw emphasized the need to protect first responders who arrive at the scene of a disaster. “Some people will rush to the scene without regard for their own safety,” said Henshaw. While intervention by OSHA may not feel welcome at the time, he explained that each worker’s health and safety during emergency response is a priority.