OMRC Co-Coordinator Honored

Dr. Forrest Smith, Ohio Medical Reserve Corps Co-Coordinator, was honored in March by the Ohio Community Service Council (OCSC) with the STAR Award for his efforts creating Ohio Medical Reserve Corps.

The Ohio Community Service Council initiated the STAR Award, to be presented annually in honor of individuals, groups and/or organizations whose efforts have supported, strengthened, and furthered volunteerism throughout the state.

”There are many outstanding awards programs that honor the tremendous service and impact of volunteers in their local communities, “ said Alan Penn, OCSC Chair. “The OCSC STAR Award is unique because it recognizes those whose efforts have strengthened, supported, or expanded volunteerism and service statewide.”

Dr. Forrest Smith, Ohio State’s Epidemiologist and Medical Director for the Division of Prevention Dr. Smith has been in private practice of pediatrics, student health and Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University; and since 1993, he has worked with the Ohio Department of Health.

Dr. Smith was charged with developing the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps, a cadre of volunteer medical professionals, credentialed, trained and prepared to respond in emergency situations. From the beginning, Dr. Smith envisioned connecting the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps to the bigger picture of citizen preparedness and response, to avoid the “silos” of fragmentation, duplication and confusion.

He sought out the Ohio Community Service Council and Ohio Citizen Corps, also in a start-up phase, to pursue collaborative and integrated development of OMRC. That collaborative development has continued for five + years resulting in the formation of over 65 county Medical Reserve Corps Units and on-going efforts to connect and integrate them into counties’ Citizen Corps efforts. OMRC is acclaimed nationally for its integrated, systematic development and operation.

Dr. Smith initiated and advocated within the Ohio Department of Health, the inclusion of non-medical Citizen Corps volunteers in the state’s volunteer immunity legislation offering liability protection to medical volunteers. Legislation protecting all volunteers registered in the Ohio Citizen Corps database was approved in December 2005. Dr. Smith was also an active participant in the development of the administrative rules to implement the new legislation.