Joining the Public Health Reserve Corps

The Public Health Reserve Corps (PHRC) is a nationally recognized Medical Reserve Corps which donates thousands of hours of services each year to promote the health and wellbeing of King County residents. The PHRC bridges gaps in access to care prior to and during emergencies by delivering compassionate care to King County's most vulnerable residents. Reserve Corps volunteers deliver care in non-traditional settings like tiny home villages, shelters, health fairs, and community centers.

The PHRC's four goals are to engage medical providers to augment the region's emergency response capabilities; rapidly mobilize resources to address the health consequences of disasters, offer enriching service opportunities for members, and deliver top quality compassionate care to all residents of King County.

The PHRC focuses its preparations on responses for earthquakes, disease outbreaks, severe weather, and mass fatality incidents.

Open to medical and non-medical volunteers with specific credentials and skills which support the PHRC’s mission.

• Medical volunteers can be defined as an individual with unexpired medical or clinical credentials. Examples include: RN, ARNP, MD, MA, EMT, Dentists, Phlebotomists, Clinical Social Workers, etc.
  
• Non-Medical volunteers are defined as any individual volunteering with the PHRC without medical credentials. Individuals with expired medical credentials will be counted as Non-Medical.

• Medical providers licensed to vaccinate and/or prescribe (Dentists, EMT, MA, 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
• Podiatrists
• Language interpreters
• Those with proficiency in languages other than English
• Insurance/Health Benefit Navigators
• HAM radio operators affiliated with the Western Washington Medical Services Team
• Members of King County MRCs (Vashon, Redmond, Issaquah, Carnation/Duvall) cross-registered with PHRC
• Member of a community health board
• Those with other medical, healthcare, or public health backgrounds
• Expertise in public information and media
• Expertise in forensics

• Complete required trainings in the Incident Command System, De-escalation, Healing-centered care, and cultural humility
  
• Participate in one hands-on activity per calendar year
  
• Respond to 75% of quarterly emergency communication drills within 4 hours