The Wachusett Medical Reserve Corps (WMRC) was federally approved on March 11, 2006 and is based in Hubbardston, Ma.  Several years ago, the community of Hubbardston put together a ‘Health Committee’ based on a model presented at a DPH (Department of Public Health) conference.  This committee had provided nursing volunteers for vaccine clinics, BP clinics, home visits as needed and a Health Fair sponsored by the Board of Health every 3 years. WMRC started from this group of nurses and other healthcare and non-healthcare providers from the surrounding area.

The Wachusett MRC is a 501(c)3 non profit organization with a team approach of government. It is a  ‘nurse run’ unit that values each member's contribution as valid. We keep lines of communication open through emails, frequent website updates, and monthly meetings. Any member of the Executive Board is available for discussion of ideas.

The structure of each MRC unit varies, depending on its own unique requirements and on the needs of the people and community that it serves. Volunteers donate their time and expertise in the area where they live, making it easier for them to help their own family, neighborhood and community.

Some MRC units may also prepare volunteers in advance for their roles, helping to ensure a prompt and effective emergency response.

The role of the healthcare community in disaster preparation is to identify resources applicable to physical, social and psychological effects of a disaster, to identify population groups that are at the greatest risk during a disaster, to provide disaster education in advance of the event, and to take responsibility for the health of the community following a disaster. Part of our role in disaster planning is to support community disaster planning, assist in determining community health hazards, and assist to determine existing measures and resources that aid and reduce the impact of a given hazard.  We are not the planners, we are a resource for the planners with volunteers who have been screened for skills and credentialed per MRC guidelines.

MRC volunteers can also serve a vital role by assisting their communities with ongoing public health needs. This can be accomplished through community health profiles that identify needs, developing educational programs, providing screening clinics and working with the local health officials as a resource for public health initiatives that they may target as important to their specific community.

Health professionals (current, retired, or otherwise employed) and others with relevant skills (such as students in the health professions) are being offered the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills in many areas such as Clinical Medical Services, Counseling/Social Services, Education, Food and Board Services, Financial Assistance, Administration, Advisory Boards, and as a Legal Consultants to help the organization to grow and shape its future to meet the needs of the communities of north Worcester County.