On Wednesday, October 15, 2008, the Division of Health Careers/Education and Special Services for Students (HCE/SSS) at VCU worked with several local partners to bring a Stabilization and Treatment In Place (STIP) Unit to VCU. The STIP Unit is a system that is designed for rapid on-site patient stabilization and treatment during an emergency. Students were introduced to the unit as a “mobile hospital” and had the opportunity to walk through the unit, while learning about the process of setting up such a tent, how the tent is powered, and the volume of patients that such a unit can sustain over a period of time in the event of an emergency. In addition, several VCU students assisted with setting up and breaking down the tent, providing hands-on experience on the process preparing a “mobile hospital” in the event of an emergency.

The STIP Unit was set up as a recruitment event for the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The MRC was created on a national level after the president's 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country in response to the September 11th attacks. Since that time, local MRC units have been developing across the country, with units consisting of health professionals and others with relevant skills who are able to volunteer their time to train for emergency preparedness and public health outreach. Volunteers are provided training and receive certifications in various aspects of emergency training. The Richmond City MRC has been in operation since 2005 and is run by the Richmond City Health District. Currently, through a partnership with the Richmond City Health District, the VCU Department of Emergency Medicine, the Virginia Department of Health, the Central Virginia Health Planning Agency, the City of Richmond Office of Emergency Management and the Virginia Area Health Education Centers. The Richmond City MRC is being extended to the VCU community.