Volunteer Practice

Volunteering your medical expertise and services can make a tremendous positive impact, both in your local community and globally. Your specialized training puts you in a unique position to address urgent health needs by contribute to disaster relief efforts, support overburdened public health systems, provide critical care to underserved populations, or mentor aspiring medical professionals.

The Board encourages Licensees to make medical volunteerism a regular part of their practice. The need is great, and your impact can be profound.

By volunteering, you uphold the highest ideals of the medical profession and demonstrate leadership in addressing healthcare disparities. Your service sets an inspiring example for the next generation of medical professionals.

Liability Limitation for Volunteer Services

ORS 676.340-676.345 provides a program to limit the liability of Oregon licensed physicians (MD/DO/DPM), physician associates, acupuncturists, and certain other health care practitioners who provide services without compensation.

Oregon Medical Board licensees may register for the program when renewing their professional license or by submitting a registration form (English / Spanish) to the Board. There is no charge to register. Registration must be renewed with each license renewal. Participating practitioners are responsible for updating their own registration.

Health care practitioners must meet the following conditions to qualify for the liability limitation; however, the limitation does not apply in cases of gross negligence:

The physician, PA, or acupuncturist is registered with the Oregon Medical Board as a provider of health care services without compensation who wishes to claim the liability limitation provided by ORS 676.340 and 676.345.
The patient, or a person who has authority under law to make decisions for the patient, signs a statement notifying the patient that the health care services are provided without compensation and that the practitioner is liable only to the extent provided by the law. This Notification of Health Care Services Provided Without Compensation and Limitation of Liability form must be signed prior to receiving the services.
The practitioner receives the informed consent of the patient, or the person who has authority under law to make health care decisions for the patient, prior to providing the health care services.
The practitioner provides health care services without compensation, except for reimbursement for laboratory fees, testing services, and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Notification of Health Care Services Provided Without Compensation and Limitation of Liability Form (English)

Notification of Health Care Services Provided Without Compensation and Limitation of Liability Form (Spanish)

The Liability Limitation for Volunteer Services Program is not a substitute for insurance coverage; rather Oregon law (ORS 676.340-676.345) limits the liability for health practitioners who meet the requirements of the program. Under the program, health practitioners are not liable for any injury, death, or other loss arising out of the provision of those services, unless the injury, death, or other loss results from the gross negligence of the health provider.

If you have any questions, please contact the Oregon Medical Board at licensing@omb.oregon.gov or 971-673-2700.

State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR)

The State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR) is a statewide registry system to help pre-credentialed health care professionals volunteer their services during emergencies. The registry is sponsored by the Oregon Public Health Division in partnership with the Medical Reserve Corps. SERV-OR uses a secure database to register, credential, and alert volunteer health providers. The registry meets a critical need and results in significant health impacts in the community.

To be eligible for the registry, healthcare providers must have an active or emeritus license in good standing, complete relevant training and pass a criminal background check. SERV-OR, a service of the Oregon Health Authority, provides training opportunities in areas such as disaster response, advanced and basic life support and radiation response. Interested licensees may sign up for the statewide unit known as the State Managed Volunteer Pool or the county program known as the Medical Reserve Corps.

To register, visit www.SERV-OR.org and choose "Register Now." For additional information, e-mail the systems coordinator at serv.or@state.or.us or call 1-877-343-5767.

Provider Bridge

Provider Bridge is a free-to-use technology platform that maintains a comprehensive registry of health professionals that can be accessed expeditiously to prepare for and respond to local, regional, or national emergencies or public health crises.

Joining the Provider Bridge platform allows participants to create and own a time-stamped, digital report (“passport") that includes your name, provider type, professional school and graduation date, NPI, state license number(s), specialty or area of practice, and DEA registration(s), as well as any disciplinary history. Each license is verified via data sharing with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Provider Bridge also allows entities, including state medical and nursing boards, hospitals, health care institutions, public health offices, and emergency management entities to search for verified medical professionals who are willing to assist in an emergency or deploy to a disaster site or provide telehealth services. Additionally, entities can verify the credentials of state-based registrants as well as those professionals in other states.

Currently, Provider Bridge includes physicians, PAs, and nurses and is positioned to expand to include other medical professionals, such as mental health providers (psychologists, counselors, social workers), respiratory therapists, EMS providers, and others.

Registration is free and takes only a few minutes: provider.providerbridge.org.

Once registered for Provider Bridge, there are no additional steps needed. Participants can generate a certified pdf of their passport to present at an emergency site. Health care entities can add registrants to their provider list, pull Provider Bridge passports, and contact providers (unless a licensee chooses to opt out of allowing entities to find their profile). In the event of a national or state emergency, an entity can reach out to providers to determine if they are available and willing to provide health care services.

For more information, go to www.providerbridge.org.

Oregon Medical Education Foundation (OMEF) Mentorship

Mentorship has a profoundly positive impact on a medical or PA student's education. A mentor's encouragement can aid decision-making around rotation choice and practice field, and warm introductions to a mentor's network can influence a student's ultimate career trajectory. Mentors also benefit - mentee's passion for learning helps rekindle volunteers' own joy in the practice of medicine and their fresh curiosity helps volunteers stay current.

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, not only are students' opportunities to interact with prospective mentors restricted, but the events of recent years have also taken a severe toll on the bandwidth of so many senior practitioners who otherwise wouldn't hesitate to say Yes to becoming a mentor. Unfortunately, students of color, who are often the first in their family to go into medicine and/or who are from an underrepresented-in-medicine background, have been disproportionately affected in finding a good mentor match as well. OMEF is committed to solving this problem.

What is involved:

Actively listen to and take a genuine interest in your mentee
Keep all conversations confidential
Freely share your own experiences and advice when asked
Be active in your professional networks and willing to introduce your mentee to others
Make time to meet at least monthly and respond promptly between meetings
Provide regular feedback to OMEF and share any wins/challenges as they arise.

OMEF will seek the closest match across a range of factors, including but not limited to:

Background and demographics
Medical specialty
Career goals
Passion projects and special interests
Communication style and frequency
Compatibility on a personal level

Apply online at theomef.org/mentor. Once an application is received, OMEF will reach out to schedule an intake interview.

Contact the OMEF:

Carin Mateyko, Executive Director
carin@theomef.org
503.819.6126

Volunteer Practice by Out-of-State Physicians and PAs

Physicians and PAs licensed in another state may be authorized to provide volunteer medical care in connection with a coordinating organization or other entity in Oregon without compensation for up to 30 days each calendar year. To receive this authorization, out-of-state physicians and PAs must submit an Application for Authorization to Volunteer Practice in Oregon and additional requirements as outlined in OAR 847-010-0200. There is no fee to apply for this authorization. If you have any questions, please contact the Oregon Medical Board at licensing@omb.oregon.gov or 971-673-2700.