The 2012 Integrated Medical, Public Health, Preparedness and Response Training Summit was held in Nashville, TN on May 21-25. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Chesapeake Health Education Program, Inc., the training summit brought together HHS partners including the National Disaster Medical System, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals, and the United States Public Health Service, enhancing the abilities of individuals who deliver public health and medical care services during emergency situations.

TRAIN, the nation's premier learning resource for professionals who protect the public's health, through its partnership with the Medical Reserve Corps, hosted four workshops for Medical Reserve Corps leaders and presented a poster on MRC-TRAIN at the summit. Two workshops, led by TRAIN Program Assistant Erin Bougie, were interactive learning opportunities for MRC- TRAIN coordinators. Over 40 participants attended each session and gained valuable knowledge on MRC-TRAIN’s robust reporting capabilities, creating and editing volunteer accounts, and posting announcements, spotlight links, resources, and courses to TRAIN. Through these basic administrator trainings, MRC leaders developed knowledge and skills that they can integrate into local unit training opportunities.

Two additional hands-on workshops, led by TRAIN Administrator Ilya Plotkin focused on creating training plans. Attended by approximately 70 attendees, this in-depth view of MRC-TRAIN training plan module, available to all MRC units, taught MRC leaders how to setup a training plan, assign a training plan to MRC volunteers, and track the progress of volunteers as they complete components of the training plan. In addition, participants explored how to encourage volunteers to use MRC-TRAIN and the data that MRC-TRAIN provides individual units on volunteers and their training, which can be reported to partners, funders, and the public. This intermediate training provided experienced MRC leaders with an opportunity to learn the direct application opportunities of MRC-TRAIN instead of the overview that has been solely provided in years past.

Since its inception in 2003, TRAIN continues to grow in size and functionality. Comprised of 25 affiliates which include 22 states and 3 national organizations (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine and the MRC), TRAIN has over 535,000 registered learners and more than 4,000 course providers who have posted over 25,500 trainings/courses. Affiliate states and national organizations that are a part of the TRAIN Community are able to develop and assign training plans, track learning, and generate reports.  Through collaborative partnerships, TRAIN ensures access to high quality education and training in online and classroom-based formats.

For specific information on MRC TRAIN, please contact the MRC TRAIN Support Desk at mrcsupport@train.org or 202-218-4426.