Public Health Reserve Corps
Thanks for your interest in the Public Health Reserve Corps!
The Public Health Reserve Corps (PHRC) is a nationally-recognized Medical Reserve Corps donating thousands of hours of services each year to promote the health and wellbeing of King County residents. Changing circumstances are leading Public Health – Seattle & King County to reshape the PHRC into a leaner, more focused response organization going forward.
Interested in joining the Public Health Reserve Corps? The PHRC is temporarily closed to new members. Recruitment of new volunteers will restart in late 2020.
See information about significant program changes which will impact all members:
The PHRC is undergoing significant changes. Public Health – Seattle & King County is reshaping the Public Health Reserve Corps to improve its ability to deliver top quality compassionate care to people living homeless, rapidly mobilize emergency response capabilities, and offer more and richer participation opportunities for members. This new direction is influenced by changes in Public Health's emergency response strategies, changes in hazards facing King County, shifting county demographics, reductions in federal funds to support Medical Reserve Corps, feedback on annual volunteer surveys, and analysis of past PHRC responses.
Unfortunately, these changes also mean the Public Health Reserve Corps will no longer train for and respond to certain missions it formerly fulfilled.
| Old PHRC | PHRC 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | Enhance Public Health's ability to respond to public health emergencies or disasters to limit injury, illness, suffering and death | Bridges gaps in access to care prior to and during emergencies by delivering compassionate care to King County's most vulnerable residents in non-traditional settings like tiny home villages, shelters, health fairs, and community centers. |
| Hazards preparing for: | All hazards | Earthquakes, disease outbreaks, severe weather, mass fatality incidents |
| Capabilities which can be mobilized: | Radiological incident response, public information, mass dispensing, vaccinations, first aid through acute care, disaster behavioral health, health education, redundant communications, interpretation, environmental health, and more. | Limited range of capabilities to support the above scenarios such as health assessments and triage, vaccinations, mental health, disease investigation, and health education. |
| Membership | Open to anyone. | Open to medical and non-medical volunteers with specific credentials and skills which support the more limited range of response capabilities PHRC will now provide. |
| Participation requirements: | Volunteer Orientation, FEMA ICS 100 & 700. | Greater required trainings assure every member is skilled serving people living homeless and those with functional and access needs. Members must participate in at least one event each year. |
| Readiness to respond: | Response plans assumed that up to 30% of registered volunteers could be ready to respond within 72 hours of notification; real world response rates were far lower. | Goal for 75% of volunteers able to respond within 24 hours. |
What this means for current volunteers:
- Watch your inbox for opportunities to learn more about changes coming to the Public Health Reserve Corps, such as at the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event, or in a Fall webinar.
- You will receive a letter in Fall 2019 (paper and electronic copies) describing how we hope you will support the health needs of King County residents going forward. Your letter will be tailored based on information in your WASERV profile.
- Update your WASERV profile.
- Some volunteers will be notified that their credentials and response roles align with the new areas of focus for the Public Health Reserve Corps and informed of next steps to take.
- Other volunteers will be notified that their credentials and response roles align with Washington State’s Emergency System for the Advanced Registration of Health Professionals and informed of next steps to take.
Skills, credentials, and response roles aligned with new PHRC mission
- Medical providers licensed to vaccinate and/or prescribe (MD, ARNP, PA, PA-C, Pharmacists, RN)
- Although other categories of providers are allowed to vaccinate under Washington State law, Public Health policies preclude any but the above licensed professionals from administering vaccinations.
- Licensed behavioral health providers
- Health educators
- Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
- Sanitarians and environmental health specialists
- Dentists
- Respiratory therapists
- Phlebotomists
- Veterinarians
- Occupational health, industrial hygiene, and infection prevention, including N95 fit testers
- HAM radio operators affiliated with the Western Washington Medical Services Team
- Support volunteers who have participated in an activity in the past twelve months
- Members of Public Health emergency response teams
- Members of King County MRCs (Vashon, Redmond, Issaquah, Carnation/Duvall) cross-registered with PHRC
- Member of a community health board
- Member of Public Health Reserve Corps leadership team
- Expertise in public information and media
- Expertise in forensics
- Proficiency in languages other than English
To contact us, please email us at PHRC@kingcounty.gov or use our online form.
Public Health Reserve Corps clinicians and pharmacists who will administer vaccinations must complete the following training activities prior to volunteering. Contact phrc@kingcounty.gov with questions.
REQUIRED TRAINING:
- CDC "You Call the Shots" modules: Influenza, Hepatitis A (includes info on Twinrix), Hepatitis B
- Instructions for earning CDC Continuing Education credits
- Email certificates of completion to phrc@kingcounty.gov
REQUIRED VIEWING:
Immunization Technique Best Practices
(25 minute video)
REQUIRED READING:
- Vaccine Clinic Instructions for Volunteers
- You must give your patients Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) – it's federal law!
- 7 Rights for Vaccine Administration
- Vaccine Information Sheets for Hep A, Hep B, and Influenza (VIS)
- Vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS)
- Vaccine administration protocols
RECOMMENDED VIEWING:
- Brief overview of Trauma Informed Care from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
REQUIRED ON-SITE TRAINING:
- The Public Health Supervisor will complete a "Just in Time" training at the beginning of the clinic to observe your IM injection technique.
OPTIONAL: Additional resources on understanding homelessness
- Healthcare Homeless 101 Trainings from the National Health Care for the Homeless Coalition
- Homelessness and Health Fact Sheet
Public Health is seeking opportunities for volunteers to practice delivering emergency physical and mental health care to diverse populations, including people living homeless.
Recent community events or locations hosting PHRC volunteers
- Seattle / King County Clinic
- Kent Dragonboat Races
- Seattle to Portland Bike Race
- Sites which deliver care to people living as homeless
- Sites which deliver care to people recovering from addiction
- Community blood lead screenings
- Harm reduction fair
- Schools, churches and other locations hosting vaccination clinics
To request Public Health Reserve Corps volunteers for an emergency response or planned event, email us at PHRC@kingcounty.gov or use our online form.
Public Health will work with you to explore whether the activity is suitable for Public Health Reserve Corps volunteers.
Event calendar for registered PHRC volunteers
Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/phrc