Hundreds of SLO County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers serving a vital role in COVID-19 response efforts

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The San Luis Obispo County Medical Reserve Corps (SLOMRC) is playing a crucial role in assisting the County in its ongoing COVID-19 response efforts.

"The Medical Reserve Corps is a group of individuals, that are called upon to help us respond to any kind of public health emergency," said Michelle Shoresman, San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department spokesperson. "The MRC is the perfect example of people just wanting to roll up their sleeves and help their neighbors."

The group totals more than 600 volunteers from a wide diversity of professional backgrounds, who collectively have provided more than 10,000 hours of service time.

"We have librarians," said MRC volunteer Kim Berg. "You have medical people, EMTs, paramedics, first responders, doctors, nurses, PA's, dentists, veterinarians, all sort of joining together and just sort of pitching wherever help is needed."

Much of the volunteer staff are people with medical licenses or skills, while others have clerical or administrative duties.

"Everybody is here for the common good of the community," said MRC volunteer Sue Dailey. "They want to help. They want to assist. They're here because they absolutely 100 percent want to be and it's been an experience like no other."

The MRC has actually been around for more than 10 years, helping the County during times of special need or disaster.

However, it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic struck one year ago when County officials sent out an urgent call for volunteers.

Soon afterwards, volunteers were working in a number or roles, including helping perform thousands of tests, either at testing sites or in mobile locations, such as long-term care centers.

Now, much of their efforts are focused on helping at Public Health vaccination sites at Cuesta College, Arroyo Grande High School and the Paso Robles Event Center.

"We can not be doing any of what we have done in this pandemic without our Medical Reserve Corps," said Shoresman. "We would not have had the staffing or capability to stand up an alternative care site if we had needed to do that. We wouldn't be able to have these large-scale mass vaccination efforts. They really are part of the heart and soul of this operation."

Many of the volunteers are retired, while others are still working.

"I always joke when I leave here I have to go off to my day job," said Berg, who owns Five Cities Veterinary Hospital in Arroyo Grande. "I love it. It's a great reason to get up in the morning early and come do this before I start the rest of my day and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Even though they are working sometimes long and grueling shifts, the volunteers know their efforts are truly making a difference.

"It's a feeling like you can't even describe really," said Dailey. "To make an impact in a worldwide pandemic that everybody is trying to navigate and maneuver through, and I know that this is the means to the end of this, and to be part of that to be able to offer my services has been an extremely fulfilling experience."

Looking ahead, the MRC will remain in place after the pandemic ends, to help keep the county ready to respond to any future wide scale emergency or special need.

"There will be less activity," said Shoresman. "There might be fewer volunteers doing things on a day-to-day basis, but we will continue to involve the Medical Reserve Corps in our activities in the Public Health Department, whether it's vaccination clinics. We'll continue to run exercises and drills to help them stay prepared if they need to activate in the future. They'll be around and they'll continue to be an integral part of what Public Health does."

For more information on the San Luis Obispo County Medical Reserve Corps, visit the SLOMRC webpage.