By registering with Illinois Helps, an Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP), you can be part of an alert system and respond if available, when activated, to a significant disaster or public health emergency.

Once you have registered to become a volunteer, your professional credentials will be verified and this information will become part of the statewide secure database.

Illinois Helps may only be activated by the Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health or the Director, Illinois Department of Public Health or their designees in the event of an emergency.

Upon activation, an alert message will be sent to Illinois Helps volunteers - depending on the size, type, location, and specific needs of the incident - asking those available to respond and giving specific instructions on where to report and what is needed.

Recent experience with large-scale disasters has consistently shown that an effective response requires that volunteers be pre-credentialed and deployed through a coordinated effort. Hospitals, health departments and Medical Reserve Corps units will be able to verify provider credentials and privilege status by checking the database at their home institutions, and thereby manage the local control of their responders.

Before beginning the Illinois Helps registration process please click here for additional information.

Join the Illinois Helps statewide secure database here.

For more information on the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) click here. 

Email Illinois@mchc.com for more information or questions on Illinois Helps.