As the events of September 11th, Hurricane Katrina and recent international earthquake activity indicate, there is a pressing need to recruit, pre-register and pre-credential health professionals, particularly health care professionals. Formerly known as LA County ESAR-VHP, the LA County Disaster Healthcare Volunteers (DHV) is a collaborative effort lead by the County of Los Angeles Departments of Health Services, Emergency Medical Services Agency and Public Health to eliminate the following problems: identification of medical, health and mental health professionals and other volunteers at disaster sites; validation of practice and license; proper credentialing and training. In addition to the LA County Surge Unit, there are three Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units within our program, including MRC Los Angeles, Beach Cities Health District MRC and Long Beach MRC. Volunteers are given a choice of units when they register. LA County DHV is part of a federally mandated statewide and nationwide effort to recruit and register healthcare volunteers in advance of the next disaster.
Los Angeles MRC
The MRC Los Angeles serves a geographic area of 4,084 square miles, with 81 miles of ocean shoreline, mountain ranges with 10,000 foot peaks, densely populated valleys and sparsely populated desert. With 88 incorporated cities, more than 250 additional communities and a population of 11 million, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the US. It operates under the coordination of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Program of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. MRC Los Angeles provides the established public health infrastructure with teams of trained and experienced medical, health, mental health and other skilled volunteers. They are pivotal in providing valuable services to the communities in Los Angeles County.