History

In early 2002, the US Citizen Corps was created as a means to encourage and support citizens to serve their communities through volunteerism. The Medical Reserve Corps was established under the umbrella of the Citizen Corps.

The Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) announced the formation of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) program in early 2002, and called for Requests for Proposals from organizations and municipalities interested in participating in a 3-year pilot program. The overall goal of the project was (and is) to establish teams of local volunteer medical professionals and laypersons that can contribute their skills and expertise during times of community need, such as influenza pandemic, chemical spill, act of terrorism, or natural disaster.

Over the years, we have seen the program grow to over 200,000 volunteers in almost 1,000 units across the country—ready to respond to emergencies and building resiliency in thousands of local communities through prevention, preparedness and public health activities.

View our 10th Anniversary Video