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SERV-OR Frequently Asked Questions






  • What is the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR)

    SERV-OR is a database of licensed health care professionals and administrative and support personnel, who have registered to volunteer in response to Federal, State, and/or local emergencies. The Registry allows these volunteers to join State and Local volunteer groups. These groups are as follows:

    • Volunteer Management Unit (VMU): A generic designation encompassing the State Managed Volunteer Pool (SMVP) or Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit with responsibility for managing volunteer training, communications, and activation.

    • State Managed Volunteer Pool: The group of SERV-OR volunteers managed at the state level. SMVP members may be activated for volunteer assignments during emergencies and through a statewide resource request model. This structure enables SMVP to respond to state or local emergencies as well as to Federal requests for disaster support or situations in which the Governor declares an emergency or identifies an impending public health threat. Members are notified promptly to ensure timely and effective support wherever their skills are needed. All volunteer applicants are encouraged to apply for this group, as well as a local MRC.

    • Medical Reserve Corps (MRC): The mission of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is to improve the health and safety of communities across the country by organizing and utilizing public health, medical, and other volunteers. MRC units are community-based and function to locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources. MRCs are managed by a local organization that is affiliated with the national MRC office, usually, though not exclusively, a local county health department or hospital/hospital system. ​​​

    • MRC members may be alerted about volunteer opportunities during locally declared emergencies or in response to state or Federal requirements. However, activation practices vary across individual MRC units. Depending on their structure, mission, and local operational needs, MRCs may notify members of opportunities at different rates and for a variety of reasons, some of which may relate to emergency response while others may support non‑emergency public health or community resilience activities. Many MRCs have local meetings and social opportunities. Each unit sets its own volunteer policies. Some units require volunteers to possess an active state-issued health care provider license, while others do not. Some units accept volunteers from outside their host jurisdiction, some do not. You can view the minimum licensure and jurisdiction requirements for each MRC when you start the registration process at SERV-OR.org.
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The volunteer registry engages with many professionals, often through State of Oregon licensed and certified health care professionals, to include physicians, nurses, pharmacists, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), behavioral health providers, and others. Individual MRCs may make the determination to recruit non-licensed health care personnel and non-health care members.​​The State Managed Volunteer pool recruits non-licensed healthcare professionals and non-health care members.​

Volunteers must register in at least one organization, whether a county or regional MRC unit or the State Managed Volunteer Pool. Volunteers are encouraged, though not required, to volunteer for both an MRC and the State Pool.

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units are locally managed counties or regions in the state. Join your local MRC for local volunteer opportunities. If you don't see an MRC that is local to you, you may be able to join the nearest unit to where you live or work, depending on that unit's membership policies

State Managed Volunteer Pool (SMVP) is the pool of volunteers deployed by Oregon Health Authority. We may request your support statewide but usually try to notify you of volunteer opportunities closer to where you live.

For questions about the SMVP, email SERV.OR@odhsoha.oregon.gov

Helpful notes for choosing your SERV-OR Organizations.

  • Primary MRC Rule: A volunteer may register in more than one MRC unit after receiving special authorization by each unit's administrator. The volunteer must consider only one unit as their primary unit and if interested in responding, they will deploy with their primary unit if competing needs arise. A unit administrator may deny dual membership to a volunteer. In this event, the administrator must clearly communicate the justification for denial to the member.

  • Full Range of Opportunities: Those wishing to volunteer for the full range of potential Federal, state, and local or regional volunteer opportunities should register in both an MRC unit and the State Pool.

  • Local or Regional: Those wishing to consider only local or regional opportunities should register with the MRC in the county in which you live, if one is available. You also may have the flexibility of registering with an adjacent county's or regional MRC, depending on that unit's membership policies

  • No MRC: Individuals living in a county without an MRC may become members of the State Managed Volunteer Pool (SMVP) and/or may be able to join an adjacent county or regional MRC unit. Entry into an adjacent MRC unit is dependent upon that unit's membership policies.

  • State and/or Federal: Those wishing to be available only for statewide and/or Federal incidents and opportunities should register only with the State Managed Volunteer Pool.

Questions about your local unit? Reach out to the local MRC Coordinator in your jurisdiction.

MRCCoordinatorEmailPhone
City of Cannon Beach

Lila Wickhamlilawickhamrn@gmail.com503-436-8052
Coos County

Cynthia RodriguezCynthia.rodriguez@chw.coos.or.us541-266-6809
Deschutes County

Carissa HeiniegeCarissa.heinige@deschutes.org458-292-8347
Eastern Oregon

Joe Johnsonjjohnson@bakercountyor.gov541-566-0214
Linn County

Sara Batessarahbates@linncountyhealth.org541-990-7325

Lincoln County

 

Samantha Buckleysbuckley@co.lincoln.or.us541-265-0657
Multnomah County

Jade Gershen

Zumana Rahman

jade.gershen@multco.us

zumana.rahman@multco.us

971-940-2575

503-568-6884

Nehalem Bay

Velda Handler

Adele Spegman

Misty Hadermann

Velda.handler@evcnb.org

 Adele.spegman@evcnb.org

 Misty.hadermann@evcnb.org

503-812-4491
SVdP Medical Reserve Corps (in Lane County)

Cayetana Gomez de Solercayetana.gomez@svdp.us541-214-4494
Wasco County

Aidan Zhou

Gloria Alvarez

aidanz@ncphd.org

gloriaa@ncphd.org

541-506-2752

541-506-2699

Washington County

Yera Castaneda

Amy Sturgeon

Adrienne Donner

MRCTeam@washingtoncountyor.gov503-846-8738
Yamhill County

Eric MissmanmissmanE@yamhillcounty.gov971-517-0800



You can complete a very preliminary registration in under five minutes by providing just your contact information and basic professional information on the SERV-OR site. If you have time, we would appreciate detailed responses in the registration form.

  • Gather all your personal and professional license information before you begin registration. You'll need it to complete the process.

  • You will be asked if you want to join the State Managed Volunteer Pool (SMVP) and/or a local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit.

  • You will select a username and password that you will use to maintain your volunteer profile and review confidential volunteer assignment requests.

  • The "system" will generate an e-mail notifying you that your application is under review once you have completed registration.

  • You will subsequently be notified by the volunteer unit manager(s) on the status of your application (i.e. whether accepted or if there are questions or additional steps). Some local MRC units request an interview.​​

You are asked to update personal information (e.g. address, phone number and e-mail), as they occur. You may be asked to review your data on a periodic basis, potentially annually. You will be notified by your volunteer unit manager when this policy has been determined. ​

  • No, your participation in either an emergency response or a planned community service event such as a vaccination clinic is entirely voluntary.

  • You may pick and choose among the opportunities offered

  • Your status as a volunteer is not affected if you choose not to volunteer for any event.

​No. There are no salaries, wages, or financial compensation associated with volunteering either in emergencies or non-emergency events.​

Responding with the State Managed Volunteer Pool (OHA SERV‑OR)


When responding as a volunteer with the State Managed Volunteer Pool (also referred to as OHA SERV‑OR), you are considered an agent of the State performing assigned duties under ORS 30.260 to 30.300.

OHA SERV‑OR volunteers are eligible to apply for workers' compensation if injured, as provided by ORS 656.047 and related rules.

OHA SERV‑OR volunteers also receive tort liability protections under ORS 401.651–401.670 and related rules. These protections apply only while participating in the mission at the mission site and do not apply during travel to or from the mission site or at the lodging site.


Responding with a Local MRC During a Governor-Declared Emergency or State‑Sanctioned Exercise

If you are responding with your local MRC during a governor‑declared emergency, according to ORS 401.358, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) will provide tort liability coverage and workers' compensation as long as your local MRC's sponsoring agency is a public body and has registered you as a Qualified Emergency Services Volunteer (QESV).

If you are participating in a State-Sanctioned exercise with your local Medical Reserve Corps unit, you will also receive tort liability protection and workers' compensation, provided you are registered with the State Managed Volunteer Pool.

 
Responding with a Local MRC Outside a Governor-Declared Emergency or State‑Sanctioned Exercise

If you are responding with your local MRC outside a declared emergency or state‑sanctioned exercise, connect with your unit coordinator, as liability protections and workers' compensation coverage vary by unit.

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The following links provide information regarding Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS), Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR), and liability and injury protection:

Yes. The status of professional license is verified (active, unrestricted, and in good standing) along with certain other data (e.g., Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and criminal background check). This information is kept in the SERV-OR secure database. The following licensing boards are among those we review when verifying licenses​

 

Other important certifications may be checked with such organizations as:

"In good standing" means that:

  • A health care provider is currently certified, registered or licensed, does not have any disciplinary restrictions placed on any certificate, registration or license, and who is not suspended or on probation with any certifying, registering or licensing agency that issued a certificate, registration or license for any reason; or

  • At the time the health care provider was last certified, registered or licensed the health care provider: (i) Did not have any disciplinary restrictions placed on a certificate, registration or license; and (ii) Was not on probation or did not have a certificate, registration or license revoked or suspended by the certifying, registering or licensing agency that issued the certificate, registration or license, for any reason.

  • An individual is not in good standing if he or she voluntarily surrendered a certificate, registration or license while under investigation by a certifying, registering, or licensing board or surrendered a certificate, registration or license in lieu of discipline.

Yes, with some license and training requirements:

  • You must have been previously licensed or certified to provide health care services in Oregon within the last 10 years.

  • Your license or certification must have been in good standing when it was surrendered. (See the description of “in good standing".)

  • Undergo a criminal background check and sign any necessary authorizations.

  • Prior to being eligible for activation, and thereafter every three years, you must complete training on triage. Additional incident-specific training may be assigned prior to activation, during an emergency.​
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Our database is secure and only professional administrators, and your volunteer unit manager have access to your information. Each volunteer unit manager agrees to an information security agreement as a condition of obtaining an account which requires adherence to state database security requirements and the Department of Human Services Information S​ecurity Office.​​​

​Through e-mail, text message and/or voice phone message.​

  • Depending on the MRC unit, volunteers will be required to take certain short, online courses to prepare them for disaster response and to ensure personal and family safety during a disaster.
  • Your unit administrator will inform you of these requirements on acceptance of your application

  • You will also receive notices of additional classes, events, and exercises. Some will be in-person and others will be online.​

  • Some training will provide continuing education units, depending on the licensure.

  • Your VMU manager may notify you of opportunities to participate in local, regional, or state level exercises.

  • Consult your VMU manager to confirm availability of liability and injury protection during exercises.

  • Your VMU manager may also notify you of opportunities to participate in non-emergency volunteer events such as blood drives, flu shot clinics, health education fairs, and school events.

  • As mentioned above, all participation is voluntary and frequency of participation will not affect your status as an emergency volunteer.
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When volunteering for an emergency, you become part of the overall response and are working within the Incident Command System (ICS) (i.e. you are usually assigned a specific role/task at a designated location that is being managed by existing organizational authorities). You may need to check your expectations at the door since you will usually not be assigned a leadership role as a volunteer. In summary:

  • You are volunteering as an individual with expertise in your field of practice.

  • Your VMU manager may ask that you assume a leadership or management role within the unit for routine training and administrative purposes. Do not expect this leadership role to extend to emergency responses.

  • It is possible that you'll be asked to volunteer as an individual provider at a hospital, alternate care site or clinic and that you will be under the supervision of that organization's leadership.

Emergency response is not for everyone. Despite safety precautions, risks can include physical danger and injury; exposure to potentially dangerous pathogens or chemicals; emotional trauma; and physical exhaustion. You need to consider personal, professional and family needs or concerns as you make an informed decision.  Some considerations might include personal health, childcare and family concerns.​

Yes. If you move out of Oregon or want to tell people in other states about becoming an emergency healthcare volunteer, SERV-OR and the Oregon Medical Reserve Corps units have counterparts across the nation. Check two places:


​ The MRC units of Coos County, Deschutes County, Nehalem Bay and Wasco County do not require a state-issued healthcare license or certification.  They welcome non-licensed volunteers in important support roles.​