$10K award supports Medical Reserve Corps

Hancock Public Health has received a $10,000 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Operational Readiness Award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials. These awards, made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's Medical Reserve Corps Program Office, will build the operational readiness capabilities of MRC units to meet the emergency preparedness and response needs of local, regional and statewide stakeholders. More than $1 million in awards nationwide will support 129 units to build MRC response capabilities (Tier 1) or strengthen MRC response capabilities (Tier 2). Hancock Public Health received a Tier 2 award. The MRC is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises approximately 200,000 volunteers in roughly 800 community-based units located throughout the United States and its territories. According to the 2020 Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps, Operational Readiness Awards were the largest funding source for 29% of units that year. During the 2020 COVID-19 response, MRC volunteers contributed approximately 840,000 hours of service, resulting in a workforce savings of nearly $24 million. Currently, the MRC reports approximately 3 million volunteer hours to support COVID-19 local response efforts, and the numbers continue to grow. Hancock Public Health Medical Reserve Corps is a group of volunteers committed to assisting in times of need at Hancock Public Health. Volunteers come from all walks of life and have donated their time for a variety of services to keep Hancock County safe and healthy. The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments.