The first national mobilization of MRC units was the 2005 response to Hurricane Katrina. Approximately 1,500 MRC volunteers participated in an optional deployment to the Gulf Coast region to provide medical care, primarily in ARC shelters.10,15 An additional 6,000 volunteer health professionals were involved in activities organized by their local MRC units, including providing care to evacuees.
Units and Workforce—In 2012, the DCVMRC listed 982 locally based units, which vary in size based on geographic location. In total, there were more than 200,000 volunteer health professionals registered with MRC units in 2012. The mean unit size was 210 volunteers. Among these volunteers, there was a wide range of training and professional backgrounds, including physicians (7%), nurses (28%), emergency medical technicians and paramedics (5%), public health personnel (11%), and other health providers (11%). The remaining 38% were nonmedical volunteers who, despite not having medical training, contributed valuable services including logistics, technical support, and legal services. The MRC has continued to grow over time. Using Frasca's reported MRC enrollment in 2009 as a baseline, MRC membership grew by 8% between 2009 and 2012.1
