Medical Reserve Corps (MRCSA) is working to better address the needs of the

Southern Arizona community. One of the tools being implemented is a series Community
Needs Assessments. Our focus is on jointly establishing priorities and planning efforts
with Tucson Metro hospitals, community clinics, emergency response agencies and the
general public. The surveys are providing a current snapshot of the preparedness of the
community and the awareness of MRCSA resources available to them for emergency and
disaster response and recovery.
To date, in collaboration with students from the University of Arizona College of
Nursing, we have learned from more than 300 community surveys that:

65% of our neighbors expect to go to a hospital emergency room for care
following a disaster.

42% think that contagious diseases are the greatest risk to the health and safety of
the community, followed by terrorism and extended power outages.

Television and the internet are, by far, the top choices for accurate information
concerning a disaster or emergency.

Only 17% say that they have an emergency supply kit.

16% responded that members of their families or neighbors would require
assistance to evacuate their homes or neighborhood.
These responses are only a portion of the survey results which will ultimately reach more
than 1,000 Tucsonans during the first half of 2115.
Our hospital surveys tell us which specific skills and staffing positions would
most likely to be filled by trained and credentialed volunteers. MRCSA will work with
each hospital to provide training to meet their needs and, if possible, pre-assigned teams.
The hospitals will, whenever possible, incorporate MRCSA volunteers in their drills and
exercises in order to create the familiarity necessary for seamless integration when
responding to an emergency.
MRCSA will use the information obtained from the surveys to create a volunteer
corps of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals and others that most
effectively address the needs of Tucson and the greater Southern Arizona community.
Survey results will also be shared with the appropriate response agencies and
organizations. Since each survey is identified by the Zip Code of the respondent, we will
have a significant community cross section and can identify interests and concerns of
individual neighborhoods within the county.
Our objective is to be stronger and better prepared in the event of any emergency
situation through an investment in long-term community resiliency.