KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasHealth Care Volunteers Stand By For Local Emergency

Health Care Volunteers Stand By For Local Emergency

If a large-scale emergency were to happen in Las Vegas, a group of volunteer health care professionals stands ready to help. Members of this Medical Reserve Corps have pitched in to aid evacuees from New Orleans.

Henderson nurse Kathy McGonigle is a volunteer with the Medical Reserves Corps of Clark County. Her skills have been put to use over the last few days to help care for Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the Fertitta Community Center in Las Vegas.

McGonigle says, "We saw a lot of medical problems because of hypertension, not having their medications. So I did nursing assessments and triage and sent them off to quick care, or if they were okay to go, sent them in for immunizations if they needed it -- if they were exposed to the water."

McGonigle belongs to a group of professional health care volunteers, both active and retired, who've agreed in advance to help out, should there be a large-scale emergency in Southern Nevada.

Program Coordinator Paula Martel says they're organized, just in case. She says the group was formed after lessons learned from 9/11.

"What happens is, you get a lot of unaffiliated, spontaneous volunteers that come, they have a big heart, they want to help, but we don't know who they are. So this is an opportunity during a local event to have pre-identified health care professionals who would be able to get the call and come right to work," says Martel.

Most MRC volunteers already know how to perform specific medical functions. Their coordinated assistance could be invaluable in a mass casualty situation.

Martel says, "What I want to you do as a nurse, or physician or pharmacist is bring those skills that you have to us here at the health district, through the Medical Reserve Corps and let us use you.

Members of the reserve corps meet twice a month and are occasionally put through drills to maintain preparedness. For health care professionals who would like to know more about the medical reserve corps, you can click here for more information online .