Medical Reserve Corp volunteer Mayetta Cahill, Lawrence, prepares a syringe containing a dose of the H1N1 vaccination during the Douglas County H1N1 clinic Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds. Cahill, like others who volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corp are called to assist during a public health emergency.

Medical Reserve Corp volunteer Mayetta Cahill draws a dose of the H1N1 vaccination.

There’s a group of 90 volunteers who have been called upon more often than ever before because of the H1N1 virus.

The group is called the Douglas County Medical Reserve Corps and its purpose is to assist the community during a public health emergency.

“The health department depends on them because if we have to quickly do medication or vaccination, we depend on them to help us out,” said Kim Ens, preparedness coordinator for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department and coordinator for the Medical Reserve Corps. “It’s definitely an asset to our community.”

Volunteers need to be at least age 18 and don’t need a medical background. However, many do have medical experience. The agency is looking for retired or active nurses, doctors, pharmacists, veterinarians, patient records specialists, mental health professionals, interpreters, health educators and epidemiologists.

Volunteers go through a few hours of training and then are offered more specialized courses throughout the year.

The national Medical Reserve Corps was founded in 2002, when then-President George Bush asked Americans to volunteer in support of their country in response to 9/11. The Douglas County unit was formed in 2003 and is one of 14 units in Kansas. There are 850 in the United States and 900,000 volunteers.

Benefits of volunteering

Perry residents Paula Hladky, 63, and her husband, Willard Epling, 68, joined the Douglas County unit shortly after it formed. Paula said the training that the Medical Reserve Corps provides is useful.

“It’s training that you might need in your everyday life because who knows where you are going to be when something happens,” she said.

The couple are among about 20 active members. Besides assisting during emergencies, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers can be called to assist with health-related activities such as health fairs, triathlons and first-aid stations at music festivals.

This fall, Hladky helped at a preparedness fair by running a machine that shows the germs that are left on hands — even after washing. She also volunteered by operating a duck pond game during a “Kickin’ It With WIC” event for low-income families with children at the Community Health Facility.

In late September, she helped operate the lines at the Douglas County Dental Clinic’s free dental day. The clinic offered free care for those without insurance on a first-come, first-served basis. Hladky said the day made her more aware of the need for health care reform.

“That’s really a tearjerker for me — to see people standing in line on that cold morning and then they were turned away,” she said. “But then again, the highlight of it was 60 people got served.”

Hladky said she has seen some of the people who received free dental care at the H1N1 immunization clinics, where she has been manning the front doors. She said people are so appreciative and it makes her volunteer work worthwhile.

“They are just wanting to give a hug and say thank you so much for that day because it was a life-changing experience and that means so much.”

‘Giving back’

Lawrence resident Mayetta Cahill, 57, joined the Medical Reserve Corps one month ago after hearing about it from a friend.

The registered nurse, who also has a master’s degree in social work, said she joined to give back to the community.

“I’ve come from a long line of people who have served our country as soldiers,” she said. “It seemed like a good thing to do and that I could finally offer some of the service that I’ve always wanted to.”

She already has volunteered at two H1N1 clinics where she drew vaccine from multi-dose vials and put them into single doses in a syringe. Cahill said the process of becoming a volunteer wasn’t difficult. She also said being involved in the vaccination process had eased her fears about the H1N1 virus and vaccines.

“It doesn’t seem as frightening and in fact, it seems very manageable,” she said.

Training pays off

Hladky said the H1N1 clinics were an example of how the years of preparedness training paid off.

“We have always talked about what if we have a mass vaccination program and it was always in the future,” she said. “Well, it’s now and I think we’ve handled it very well. We have done the seasonal flu clinics before, but nothing at this magnitude.”

The majority of Douglas County Medical Reserve Corps members have signed up to be available to help if disaster strikes such as the Greensburg tornado or Hurricane Katrina, and Ens said she is glad to have them.

“It’s really important that we have people in Douglas County who are prepared in case we do have an emergency, especially that are trained and know not to get in the way of the response agencies, but to truly be able to help out,” Ens said. “Most of our volunteers still have jobs and so they are very busy and we understand that. Bottom line, we want them to be available during a major disaster or emergency.”

Ens said the county unit, which has grown a little every year, has quarterly meetings and an annual banquet which is Nov. 19. She encourages members to attend at least one meeting and volunteer at least four hours per year.

“With this kind of group, it’s a little bit harder to keep them engaged if you don’t have emergencies,” Ens said.

That’s why they offer lots of training opportunities.

The Medical Reserve Corps often joins other agencies in offering training programs. For example, they recently teamed up with the Lawrence Humane Society to offer training on dealing with animals in an emergency. They soon will be offering a psychological two-night course on how to better deal with people who are under stress.

Hladky said she would be taking the class.

“There are things in your life that you do and then you go home and think, ‘Wow, what a waste of time.’ I sure don’t do that with Medical Reserve Corps because it is hands on. I really feel like we do make a difference,” she said.

While working at a recent H1N1 clinic, a little girl approached her after getting a vaccination and handed her a drawing.

“I’ve still got it because that’s actually what it is all about. That little girl — even with the tears running down her face — said that I was the nice lady,” Hladky said. “That’s what I want to be.”