Welcome to K HELPS

Public health emergencies and natural disasters are unpredictable and can strike at any time. In the event of a large-scale public health emergency, health and medical systems would be overwhelmed with people needing help. The need to meet this demand would be crucial, which is why it is important to be prepared to deal with events like these by having medical and non-medical volunteers to provide an important surge capacity.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) has established the Kentucky Health Emergency Listing of Professionals for Surge (K HELPS) program. K HELPS is a web-based online registration system developed to facilitate health and medical response through identification, credentialing, and deployment of Kentuckians willing to serve in emergency, as well as non-emergency situations.

K HELPS was created in 2005 to offer medical support to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. K HELPS complements existing Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) programs, which are community-based organizations utilizing medical professional volunteers to supplement existing local emergency and public health resources for emergency response. Currently, KDPH is placing emphasis on recruiting physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, radiological technologists, respiratory therapists, and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, although all Kentuckians are encouraged to “volunteer” no matter what expertise they have acquired.

During site registration, you will be required to provide basic personal and professional information. Once you choose the group and/or MRC unit you wish to sign up for, a group leader and/or MRC unit leader will complete the process by verifying the volunteer’s license, completing a background check, issuing and identification badge, and providing orientation and training. You will be able to update this information at any time as changes occur. You may want to gather licenses (personal and professional), and credentials before you begin the registration process.

Remember that during emergency situations you and your family come first, that is why KDPH strongly encourages you to create an emergency preparedness plan for you and your family. You should only volunteer when you feel comfortable doing so, you can choose, at any time, to decline any request that you receive for deployment.

If you are now ready to enroll in K HELPS, you may do so by clicking on the “Register Now” button below. At any time, you may exit your registration and return later to finish and your data will be saved. If you have already completed or begun the registration process, please enter your login information to continue the registration process.

For additional information, please review the FAQ’s on this page or visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/preparedness/KHELPS.htm In times of need, Kentucky helps!