THE HAZARD - Pierce County Medical Reserve Corps

The Hazard
The Pierce County Medical Reserve Corps Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 4
April/ May 2011
Pierce County MRC Mission
The mission of the Pierce County Medical
Volunteer Turn-Out Sets NAFC
Record
Reserve Corps is to train, coordinate, and
Mary Tudor, Public Information Officer
utilize dedicated volunteers to improve the
The outpouring of volunteer effort by the
Tacoma community for the free April
C.A.R.E. Clinic set a record of volunteer
performance for the ten clinics the
Washington D.C.-based non-profit NAFC
(National Association of Free Clinics) has
sponsored since its first one in New Orleans
two years ago.
health, safety, preparedness, and emergency
response capabilities in Pierce County.
Recent C.A.R.E. Clinic a Huge
Success Thanks to Tremendous
Volunteer Turn-Out
The people of Washington should take
pride in the outpouring of volunteers who
came together for the huge free medical
clinic for the uninsured held on April 30 at
the Tacoma Dome. More than 1,400
medical, dental and non-clinical volunteers
Officially, 1400 volunteers assisted 1500
uninsured
adults
who
received
medical/dental and vision care at the clinic.
Twelve units of the Medical Reserve Corps
donated a total of 635 hours of care. The
Pierce County unit accounted for nearly 80
volunteers.
“It was a happy day for most,” said
See RECORD, page 3
IN THIS ISSUE:
C.A.R.E Clinic
CPR/First Aid
Upcoming Events
Award from the Governor
Special Thanks to Volunteers
Our Volunteers in Action
See SUCCESS, page 2
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SUCCESS
From page 1
health care access for the uninsured. More
than 3,000 volunteers, many of whom are
covered by the Volunteer and Retired
Provider Program, made it possible for the
30 free clinics throughout the state of
Washington to provide close to 75,000
patient visits throughout 2010, but the need
for health care services among uninsured
people is great and growing. These free
clinics are continuously striving to recruit
volunteers and expand services to meet the
need and the WFCA is glad to connect
prospective volunteers to free clinics in
their area.
helped us serve nearly 1,500 patients,
provide 400 free prescriptions and give out
about free prescription eyeglasses at this
free clinic sponsored by the National
Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) in
cooperation with the Washington Free
Clinic Association (WFCA).
This was the tenth C.A.R.E. (Communities
Are Responding Everyday) Clinic held by
the NAFC in cities across the country since
2009, and it was one of the most successful.
Among these one-day clinics, none had
more volunteers than the Washington
C.A.R.E. Clinic and only one served more
patients than our clinic in here in Tacoma.
The participation of Medical Reserve Corps
units contributed to this tremendous turnout. In addition to the remarkable volunteer
response, organizations throughout the
Puget Sound contributed to make this clinic
a huge success.
Local partners and
sponsors included: local Free Clinics, the
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department,
Medical Reserve Corps, South Sound
Outreach Services, Pierce County Project
Access, Medical Teams International,
Pierce County Dentists Care, Providence
Health & Services and many more.
We want Washington to be the best state it
can be, but it can be strong only if its
people are healthy. As long as there are
people without health insurance, the work
of free clinics and their many volunteerslike those enrolled with Medical Reserve
Corps- will be needed.
Katie Rains
Executive Director
Washington Free Clinics Association
(360)705-0892
[email protected]
www.wafreeclinics.org
We are grateful for the support, and we
hope that the volunteers and community
groups involved will consider ways they
can stay involved with free clinics
throughout the year in order to improve
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RECORD
From page 1
Need CPR Training?
C.A.R.E. clinic organizer Janet Runbeck
who called the event “…the country’s
largest doctor’s office.
Tacoma Fire Department offers FREE
basic CPR classes to citizens within the
limits of Tacoma, Fife, or Fircrest. You are
required to PREREGISTER for the class by
calling 253-594-7979.
“Walking around the Dome, I could see
how folks were being helped. It was a
proud moment to know that so many people
could care about others who are suffering.
There were no strangers that day in
Tacoma.”
Date: Thursday, June 2
Time: 5:30 – 8:30
Location: Fire Station 16 (7217 6th Ave)
Date: Saturday, June 18
Time: 9:30 – 12:30
Location: Fire Station 16 (7217 6th Ave)
A number of patients received referrals to
one of the free clinics within Washington,
including RotaCare in Tacoma, which
Runbeck began organizing two years ago.
RotaCare was one of the first of the free
clinics available for uninsured patients, who
have chronic disease. “It was the
partnership with MRC that made it work,”
says Runbeck.
East Pierce Fire & Rescue (EPFR) offers
FREE basic CPR and First Aid to citizens
residing within the jurisdiction of the
EPFR. You are required to PREREGISTER for
the class by calling 253-863-1800. All
classes are held at East Pierce Fire and
Rescue Station 11 (18421 Old Buckley
Hwy, Bonney Lake 98391)
“…the first group I asked for support was
the membership of the Medical Reserve
Corps.
Many members of the Pierce
County MRC came forward to donate time
and services. Since MRC was a founding
partner of Project Homeless Connect back
in 2007, we had a proven history of
building coalitions which work well in
hosting large public events.
Date: Saturday, June 11
Time: CPR: 9-12 & FA: 1-4
Date: Saturday, June 25
Time: CPR: 9-12 & FA: 1-4
“We felt we could host a larger one day
clinic and asked our state association,
Washington Assn of Free Clinics, to ask the
Date: Saturday, July 16
Time: CPR: 9-12 & FA: 1-4
See RECORD, page 4
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RECORD
From page 3
SAVE THE DATES!
National Assn of Free Clinics (NAFC) to
come to Tacoma.”
New Member Orientation
Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Time: 5:30PM
Location: Rainier Conference Room at
Tacoma Pierce County Health Department
(3629 South D Street, Tacoma 98418)
Description: New members are given an
introduction to the Medical Reserve Corps
and ICS Training. People who are
interested in finding out more but have not
turned in application are welcome to attend.
The NAFC committed $300,000 to the
C.A.R.E. clinic.
Fourteen different specialties drawn from
local practices and hospitals were
represented at the event. In addition, the
clinic provided HIV testing, vision testing,
five different kinds of vaccinations and 98
pairs of free eye glasses, courtesy of
LensCrafters,
The standalone dental clinic provided
cleanings, extractions, filliings, a root canal
or two, plus “…tons of X-rays,” said Ruth
Kohler, local coordinator. Eighteen dentists
donated time. There were three mobile
vans plus some dozen local schools and
businesses, including Burkhart Dental
Supply and Cascade Dental Northwest,
donated dental equipment and supplies.
General Membership Quarterly Meeting
Date: Monday, June 20th, 2011
Time: 6:00 – 8:00PM
Location: Jackson Hall Conference Room
(314 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma
98405)
Description: Agenda will be sent out a
week before the event. Please send RSVPs
to [email protected].
Bill (Leishman, manager of Cascade) came
to me at the end of the event, hugged me
and said "Did we do some good?" That was
an understatement--since 95 people who
came to us with a wide variety of dental
issues and pain left with relief, gratitude,
and a smile.
The miracle is this −
the more we share,
the more we have.
− Leonard Nimoy
For a complete list of the free clinics
available in Washington State, go to:
http://www.wafreeclinics.org/
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Special Recognition on National Volunteer Week (Apr.10-16)
Volunteers play a vital role in every
community. In March, the Washington
Commission for National and Community
Service (WCNCS) began a statewide search
for volunteers within national service and
volunteer programs that represent the best
qualities of the many individuals who serve
their community.
They selected our very own Planning
Section Chief, Shirley Carstens! Shirley
oversees the planning and training activities
for our 400 member Medical Reserve Corps
unit. She is responsible for the planning of
numerous MRC clinic and community
events, including H1N1 vaccination clinics,
community wellness events, and TB test
administration and reading for the volunteer
fire department. She has devoted time and
effort in development of the Unit Strategic
Plan and has been instrumental in directing
the steps towards implementing a
comprehensive training plan. In total she
has put in over 500 volunteer hours.
MRC Volunteer, Shirley Carsten, recieves
award from Govenor Gregoire.
FEMA Online Training
In honor of her dedication, Shirley was
presented a Volunteer Service Award by
Governor Gregoire. In addition, she
received a special recognition at Salute to
Volunteers Night on April 12, 2011, when
the Mariners played the Toronto Blue Jays.
To be a part of the Medical Reserve Corps
unit, completion of the Incident Command
System courses 100 and 700 is required. If
you have not taken either course, please
find the link below, take the appropriate
courses, and have results sent to
[email protected].
Every day extraordinary individuals affect
real change in their communities through
volunteer service. You are all catalysts that
help people and groups move past their
differences to build shared understanding
and solve common problems. Volunteers
are the hope for the future. Thank you for
your commitment to your community and
our unit!
If you have completed the courses, you are
welcome to review or take other available
courses to find out more about National
Incident Management System (NIMS).
Find the courses here.
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Special Thanks to All PCMRC
C.A.R.E Clinic Volunteers!
Linda Adye-Whitish
Fred Alexander
Dave Allen
Betsy Allen
Lillian Amador
Kate Armstrong
James Bales
Barry Barcomb
Karen Barnes
William Beasley
Susan Biles
Barbra Boling
Susan Boynton
Annette Bushnell
Shirley Carstens
Sheri Clark
Christina Clausen
Carrie Cornelius
Robert Crabb
Gail Deason
Janice Doyle
Charles Dzah
Joyce Ells
Holly Gindhart
Barbara Goebel
Wendy Gort
Denise Goudelock
Crystal Grimsey
Jana Guffey
Shanea Hall
Amy Hander
Kristine Harper
Magdalene Hayes
Emily Henderson
George Hermosillo
Laura Hernandez
Courtney Hills
Sarah Huntington
Heidi Jacobson
Suzanne Kienow
David Kohler
Ruth Kohler
Steven Konicek
Gabriel Landry
Verna Lilly
Janet Lind
Ariel Lyon
J’Nene McCann
Robin McClelland
Jennifer Meeker
Danielle Meyering
Jaime Minnock
Cynthia Miron
Mark Moser
Michael Mowat
Jocelyn Nery
Suzanne Payne
Jim Price
Tasha Pritchett
Beverly Raschke
Janet Runbeck
Rebecca Schlesinger
DeAnn Sellars
Shirley Siloi
Joe Simpson
Judith Sloan
Paula Springer
Michael Taylor
April Gail Telan
Leesa Tempest
LaNita Thomas
Pamela Thornton-Fulgham
Mary Tudor
Nigel Turner
Jane Vaccaro
Roger Williams
Cynthia Wolfer
Ammanda Woodard
Jennifer Worsley
You are truly amazing!
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Want to see more pictures?
Check out the Pierce County
Facebook page!
The Freedom Fair is seeking
volunteers for a wide variety
of events. Freedom Fair
begins July 2nd with a Wings
& Wheels show at the
Narrows Airport and ends
July 4th with an all day event
on the Tacoma Waterfront.
Click on the link above!
To volunteer email:
[email protected] or
call 253 719-7259.
A Site of Interest:
** This is NOT an MRC event **
http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/
What is this?
This site allows you to search counties in
Washington for a medicine drop-off
location.
Volunteers are the
Take Back Your Meds is a group of
health organizations, police, drugstores,
local governments, environmental groups,
and others in Washington State who
support medicine take-back programs to
reduce access to highly-addictive drugs,
reduce the risk of poisonings, and reduce
environmental contamination. These
organizations support creation of a secure,
statewide medicine return program for
unwanted medicines from households that
is financed by pharmaceutical
manufacturers, and that does not rely on
state and local government funding.
only human beings on
the face of the earth
who reflect this
nation's compassion,
unselfish caring,
patience, and just
plain love for one
another.
~ Erma Bombeck
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April Birthdays
04/01 − Jennifer Meeker
04/02 − Laurie Willis
04/02 − Natalia Gorski
04/02 − Suzanne Kienow
04/05 − Carolyn Syfrett
04/05 − LaNora Siggelkow
04/06 − Shameca Fraser
04/07 − Sarah Marzolf
04/07 − Hannah
Pershall-Hant
04/08 − Nayung Yim
04/08 − Tatyana Omelkovets
04/08 − Cristina Perez
04/08 − Vanessa Gneiting
04/10 − Nancy Zoro
04/10 − Bethany Carlson
04/11 − Elysia McKlintoc
04/11 − Erin Madsen
04/12 − Lynn Larson
04/12 − Joe Simpson
04/14 − Jaycee Wood
04/19 − Susan Boynton
04/20 − Nigel Turner
04/20 − Ashley Thoreson
04/21 − Shirley Siloi
04/22 − Ruth Kohler
04/22 − Stefanie Martin
04/23 − Julianna Ruisla
04/23 − Leslie Hubbard
04/24 − Eunhee Jo
04/25 − Stacey Wright
04/26 − Kevin Weimer
04/26 − Donna Horton
04/27 − Sydnee Jacobson
04/28 − Mary Yerxa
04/29 − Shannon Halloway
May Birthdays
05/03 − Joyce Ells
05/03 − Kimberlee Bulger
05/04 − Kristine Harper
05/05 − Ling Lee
04/04 − Donnette
LaGambina
05/05 − Jennifer Worsley
05/05 − Elizabeth Smith
05/06 − Daniel Petersen
05/06 − Sara Henson
05/07 − Shanea Hall
05/07 − Angela Long
05/09 − William Mansfield
05/10 − DeAnn Sellars
05/10 − Liana Bruneau
05/10 − Christina Clausen
05/11 − Rahab Karani
05/12 − Vanessa Edwards
05/13 − Brooke Steich
05/13 − Loren Enold
05/15 − Maureen Barta
05/15 − Beverly Gigrich
05/15 − Isaac Jones
05/16 − Paula Coumou
05/16 − Scott Voelpel
05/18 − Anna-Marie Mason
05/18 − Harvey Hall
05/21 − Roger Williams
05/25 − Alice Markewitz
05/27 − Eileen Finnigan
05/27 − Natalie Dean
05/27 − Jaime Minnock
05/27 − April Villanueva
05/27 − Kailee Pederson
05/29 − Patricia Schneider
05/29 − Malisa Hammett
05/29 − Jessica Murdock
05/29 − Matthew Paz
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