To meet the increased need for health care personnel following disasters, Los Angeles County launched the Emergency System for the Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (LA County ESAR VHP). The LA County ESAR VHP health volunteer program recruits, registers, and pre-credentials health, mental health, and other volunteers (including non-medical/ general volunteers) in advance of the next large scale disaster or other public health emergency. These volunteers will assist with hospital surge capacity, alternate care sites, and staffing Points of Dispensing (POD) sites. A burn surge team is also being developed and recruited to meet the demand for medical personnel with a specialty in burn care treatment.

The LA County ESAR VHP program is a collaborative partnership between the Department of Health Services' Emergency Medical Services Agency, the Department of Public Health, the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles, and CheckPoint Credentials Management Services (an AllHealth Company). It is part of a nation-wide effort to recruit volunteer medical and mental health professionals to provide critical health services following a terrorist attack, natural disaster, mass casualty incident, or other public health emergency. The program is funded through the Hospital Preparedness Program grant.

If you are interested in volunteering, please register at: www.laesarvhp.org or click on the "Medical Volunteers Click Here to Register" button located on the right hand column of the LA County EMS website: EMS Home Page . Volunteers are able to sign up online and obtain additional information about volunteer opportunities.

Physicians, dentists, podiatrists, physician assistants, advance practice registered nurses and psychologists who wish to be on the Hospital Surge, Alternate Care Site, or Burn Surge teams will be forwarded to CheckPoint Credentials Management for further "hospital ready" credentialing. Other health volunteers will need to provide a current copy of active licensure in California to be accepted into the system. Volunteer assistance and management services for the program are provided by the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles.

For more information on ESAR VHP or to sponsor a recruitment event at your health care facility, please contact Olga Svitlynets, Director of Emergency Response Program at (818) 980-5128 or er@vcla.net .

Questions can also be sent to the LA County ESAR VHP email healthvolunteers@dhs.lacounty.gov .

2009 Disaster Volunteers