The U.S. Surgeon General’s priorities for the Medical Reserve Corps are to increase public health preparedness, improve health literacy, reduce and prevent disease, and help eliminate health disparities. As a program of the Surgeon General’s Office, the Medical Reserve Corps supports and promotes these priorities, and local units work toward their achievement on the community level:

Reducing and preventing disease is accomplished through the use of clinical and non-clinical MRC volunteers at community activities, such as childhood immunization clinics, health fairs and flu shot clinics. 

Enhancing public health preparedness is attained through training and preparation of MRC members to respond to acts of bioterrorism, mass casualty events, natural disasters, severe weather, and disease outbreaks.