Empowering Community Health Through Preparedness & Response
The Public Health Unit at EHSF leads our mission to safeguard and strengthen public health throughout South Central Pennsylvania. Rooted in collaboration, training, and service, this unit strategically integrates with partners like the South Central PA Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) to fill critical public health resource gaps and empower local resilience .
Our Vision
A safer, healthier region where communities are empowered—through knowledge, preparedness, and swift action—to meet public health challenges with confidence.
Our Mission
- Resource Illumination: Provide trained, credentialed personnel ready to deploy for public health emergencies and everyday community health initiatives .
- Mission-Driven Readiness: Empower local resource mobilization via a tiered emergency response model (local → state → federal), ensuring the right skills reach the right places at the right time .
- Community Resilience: Collaborate with partners to design, implement, and reinforce prevention, education, and recovery efforts—addressing everything from vaccine equity to environmental health and disaster readiness .
Core Programs & Services
- South Central PA Medical Reserve Corps (SCPAMRC): A volunteer coalition of health professionals and civilians committed to daily public health and emergency response projects—ranging from vaccination clinics and N-95 respirator fit-testing to educational outreach and environmental monitoring .
- Environmental Health Emergency Response: Volunteers assist in shelter assessments, water testing, food safety inspections, and vector control during environmental disasters (e.g., toxic spills, vector-borne disease outbreaks) .
- Vaccine Education & Equity: Facilitating public access through vaccination clinics, educational efforts, literature distribution, and community forums—prioritizing outreach in vulnerable and underserved populations .
- Emergency Readiness & Training: Hosting and supporting exercises, webinars, and preparedness drills tailored for public health staff, healthcare providers, and community volunteers. These initiatives ensure swift and effective response during local or regional crises .
Our Region
Serving nine counties—Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill, and York—the Public Health Unit delivers focused, community-based support tailored to regional needs .
How We Work
- Collaborative Partnerships: We work closely with local public health agencies, healthcare systems, EMS providers, and volunteers to optimize training, resource allocation, and emergency response.
- Volunteer-Powered Efforts: MRC members—including medical professionals and community volunteers—form the backbone of our operations. Their diverse skills enable us to provide education, logistics, planning, and direct public health services .
- Ready-to-Deploy Infrastructure: Through ongoing volunteer training, credentialing, and readiness exercises, we maintain the ability to deploy teams swiftly—whether for a vaccine clinic or an environmental crisis.
Get Involved
Interested in making a difference? Join us! Whether you’re a healthcare professional or simply motivated to contribute, roles are available in clinical services, public education, logistics, and emergency operations. Learn more at the MRC “Get Started” page or contact us directly.
