Largest awards to date will strengthen MRC Network’s ability to deploy a ready, capable, and responsive volunteer workforce to address COVID-19, other emergencies
Washington, DC, June 14, 2022 — The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the voice of the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments, is pleased to announce a first round of funding in the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) COVID-19 Respond, Innovate, Sustain, and Equip (RISE) Awards. These awards, made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s Medical Reserve Corps Program Office, will provide resources to the MRC network to support COVID-19 response efforts. Awards totaling $9.5 million will support 186 local units and state MRC coordinators to build the capacity for the MRC to respond, innovate to evolving requirements, sustain staffing, and equip units with resources needed to support their missions.
The MRC is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises approximately 200,000 volunteers in roughly 800 community-based units located throughout the United States and its territories. During the 2020 COVID-19 response alone, MRC volunteers contributed approximately 840,000 hours of service, resulting in a workforce savings of nearly $24 million. Currently, the MRC reports approximately 3 million volunteer hours to support COVID-19 local response efforts, and the numbers continue to grow.
According to NACCHO’s 2020 Network Profile of the Medical Reserve Corps, more than half of units (63%) expressed that additional unit funding was their greatest need. Funding for these awards comes through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and is a direct result of NACCHO’s advocacy work to expand support for the Medical Reserve Corps.
- Tier 1 Awards ($25,000) – Intended for local MRC units or state coordinators with program plans at the $25,000 level that address their needs to support COVID-19 response efforts at the local, regional, or state level.
- Tier 2 Awards ($50,000) – Intended for local MRC units or state coordinators with program plans at the $50,000 level that address their needs to support COVID-19 response efforts at the local, regional, or state level.
- Tier 3 Awards ($75,000) – Intended for local MRC units or state coordinators that demonstrate a strong background in MRC operations, demonstrated response/resource needs at the $75,000 level and the expanded capacity to effectively develop and implement a program plan at this level.
A second request for applications for RISE Awards will be announced this summer.
Round 1 MRC RISE Awards granted to each of the following local MRC units or state coordinators:
Tier 1 Awards – $25,000
Alabama – Dallas County MRC
Arkansas – Marion County MRC
California – Cupertino MRC, San Mateo County MRC
Colorado – Colorado Muslim Society MRC
Connecticut – Middletown MRC
Georgia – DeKalb County Board of Health
Illinois – Douglas County Health Department, Northwest Illinois MRC, Peoria City/County Health Department, Will County Health Dept MRC, Winnebago County MRC
Maryland – Howard County MRC
Massachusetts – Burlington Volunteer MRC, Greater Fall River MRC, Greater New Bedford, Greater Taunton, Middleboro Area, Mystic Valley, North Shore Cape Ann, Northern Essex County, Wachusett MRC
Michigan – Newaygo County CERT and MRC
Minnesota – Hennepin County MRC
Missouri – Schuyler County MRC
Nebraska – West Central Nebraska MRC
Nevada – Western Nevada MRC
New Hampshire – Central NH MRC, Northern NH Unit MRC, South Central NH MRC
New Jersey – Hunterdon County MRC, Mercer County MRC, Salem County MRC
New York – Broome County Health Department, Schuyler County Public Health MRC
Ohio – Auglaize County MRC, Butler County MRC, Champaign Health District, Delaware County MRC, Fairfield County MRC, Hocking County MRC, Holmes County MRC, Medina County MRC, Pike County MRC, Portage County Health Department, Putnam County MRC, Sidney-Shelby County Health Department, Wood County MRC
Oklahoma – District 1 MRC – Northwest OK, District 5 MRC - Southwest OK
Oregon – Columbia County MRC, Eastern Oregon Regional MRC
Pennsylvania – Bucks County MRC
Puerto Rico – MRC of Puerto Rico
Tennessee – Shelby County Health Department MRC
Texas – Harris County MRC
Utah – Summit County Utah MRC
Vermont – MRC of SW Vermont
Virginia – Greater Richmond MRC, Lord Fairfax MRC, Near Southwest MRC, Norfolk MRC
Washington – Thurston County MRC
Tier 2 Awards – $50,000
Alabama – Black Belt MRC
Arizona – Santa Cruz County MRC of Arizona, Yavapai County MRC
Arkansas – River City Ministry of Pulaski County Inc
California – Alameda County (ALCO) MRC, Ventura County MRC
Colorado – MRC of El Paso County, Rocky Mountain MRC of Colorado
Connecticut – Bridgeport MRC, Fairfield MRC, Naugatuck Valley MRC, Stamford MRC
District of Columbia – Capitol City Pharmacy MRC
Georgia – MRC of West Georgia
Illinois – Macoupin County MRC, McDonough County MRC, McHenry County MRC, MRC of Illinois, Skokie MRC
Louisiana – Jefferson Parish MRC
Maryland – Maryland Responds MRC
Massachusetts – Duxbury Bay Area Regional MRC, Hampshire County MRC, Norfolk County 8
Missouri – Cape Girardeau County MRC
Nebraska – Central Nebraska MRC
New Hampshire – Lakes Region MRC
New Jersey – Manalapan MRC-CERT
New Mexico – NM Integrative Wellness MRC, Southern New Mexico MRC
New York – Genesee and Orleans (GO) Health VALOR MRC
Ohio – Clark County MRC, Hancock County MRC, Lake County MRC
Oklahoma – District 7 MRC, OKMRC Stress Response Team
Oregon – Wasco County MRC
Tennessee – Tennessee MRC
Texas – Anderson County MRC, Brown County MRC, West Texas MRC
Utah – Southeastern Utah MRC
Virginia – Peninsula MRC, Rappahannock MRC, Southwest Virginia MRC
Washington – Kitsap County MRC
West Virginia – Mid-Ohio Valley MRC
Tier 3 Awards – $75,000
Alabama – North Alabama MRC
Arizona – Animals and Humans in Disaster, Maricopa County Public Health MRC
California – California Health MRC, Marin County MRC, Sacramento MRC, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s MRC
Colorado – Southwest Colorado MRC
Connecticut – Capitol Region MRC, Housatonic Valley MRC, Shoreline MRC
Georgia – MRC Georgia East Metro (GEM)
Illinois – Kane County MRC, Rock Island County MRC, St. Clair County MRC
Iowa – Johnson County MRC
Kansas – Butler County MRC, Wildcat Region MRC
Maryland – Prince George’s County Health Department MRC
Massachusetts – Berkshire MRC, Franklin MRC, Mass Task Force, Upper Merrimack Valley MRC
Minnesota – University of Minnesota MRC
Missouri – Bollinger County MRC, MRC of Greater Kansas City, Northeast Missouri (NEMO) MRC
Nevada – MRC Washoe County
New Jersey – New Jersey MRC, Passaic County MRC
New Mexico – New Mexico MRC
New York – Livingston County MRC, Saratoga County MRC, Suffolk County MRC
North Carolina – Capital MRC
Ohio – Franklin County and Columbus MRC, Lorain County MRC
Oklahoma – Oklahoma MRC, Oklahoma MRC Nurses, Tulsa County MRC, District 10 MRC - Norman/ Cleveland County, District 3 MRC, Oklahoma County MRC
Oregon – Linn County MRC, Marion County MRC, State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR), Washington County MRC
Pennsylvania – South Central Pennsylvania MRC
Rhode Island – Rhode Island MRC
Tennessee – Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department
Texas – Alamo Area MRC, Dallas County MRC, Denton County MRC, Galveston County MRC, Tarrant County MRC, University of Texas MRC
Utah – Bear River MRC - Box Elder County, Bear River MRC – Cache County, Bear River MRC - Rich County
Virginia – Alexandria MRC, Arlington County MRC, Blue Ridge Health District MRC, Central Shenandoah MRC, Chesapeake MRC, Fairfax MRC, Loudoun MRC, Piedmont MRC, Three Rivers MRC, Virginia Beach MRC, Virginia MRC
Washington – Bainbridge Island MRC, Pierce County MRC, Skagit County MRC
West Virginia – Cabell/Wayne MRC, Mountaineer MRC
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About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.
