HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE ATTEN TION ALL HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RELIEF PERSONNEL FROM: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness DATE: September 1, 2005 TOPIC: HHS - KATRINA RECOVERY EFFORT URGENT ATTENTION The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP) is in the process of identifying and mobilizing healthcare professionals and relief personnel to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. As our nation and the global community is now aware, the healthcare needs resulting from Katrina has reached an extremely critical nature. Please respond immediately if you or your professional organization can provide assistance in the needed areas outlined below. Mission Title: Hurricane Katrina Relief Mission Need: 1100 Healthcare Professionals and Relief Personnel Location: Southern Region affected by Hurricane Katrina (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas) Staff Needs: Multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and relief personnel with expertise in the following areas. * Identifies critical staffing demands. Administration/Finance Officers *Nursing Assistants/Nursing Support Technicians *Chaplain/Social Worker Nursing Staff Directors Clinical Physicians *Patient Transporters/Volunteers Dentists Pharmacists Dieticians Psychologists Epidemiologists *Physician's Assistants or Nurse Practitioners Environmental Health Physician Chiefs of Staff Epidemiologists Respiratory Therapists *Facility Managers *RNs *Housekeepers *Safety Officers IT/Communications Officers Security Officers *LPNs *Social Workers Medical Clerks *Supply Managers Mental Health Workers Veterinarians Note: Additional critical needs are expected to be in the areas of Occupational Health, Medical Equipment, Facilities and Logistics. Special Considerations/Needs: Organizations/Associations/Health Professional Schools, and others who can respond in a consolidated effort with multidisciplinary teams of 5 professionals/volunteers or more (see Staff Needs) to meet Katrina healthcare recovery efforts. Date/Length of Time Needed: Immediate short and long-term assignments required for a minimum of 14 days up to a maximum of 30 days. Volunteer/Employment Agreement: HHS plans to hire personnel as needed. These personnel will be hired as non-paid temporary Federal employees. What does this mean? Temporary Federal employees will be covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act for liability coverage and Workman's Compensation. Travel and per diem will be paid however they will not receive a salary. Credentialing/privileging is required for healthcare professionals (details about credentialing will be provided to those who will be deployed). Additional Forms/Releases as Required Signatures will be secured for necessary forms before deployment. To register please visit http://www.hhs.gov/, click on the Hurricane Katrina link and complete the requested information. You may also call 1-866-528-6334 for further information. The phones and website are now active. Callers are standing by to take your information. Thank you very much for your concern, interest and willingness to volunteer.
Thank you for posting this. I will talk to my missions committee tomorrow and encourage them to send funds. BTW, heard from my sister, they (her family and my mother) are in Corinth, Mississippi, with her in-laws. They received a call from a neighbor in Bay St. Louis and were told their home is destroyed. Am thankful they all got out in time. Thanks for all the prayers for them!
Re: MD's Just read that out of state doctors are having some troubles with the licensing issues...Philippines is trying to send in docs/nurses. It would appear that we will allow it....waiting to see what medical boards say tomorrow......actually Tuesday
UPDATE ON SISTER My sister and her husband and son drove down from north Mississippi today to Bay St. Louis to assess the damage. The damage was worse than the phone report they received several day's ago. Six to eight feet of water is standing and the home is wall to wall mud, muck, and debris. My sister said they did not see one single building in tack along the coastline road they traveled! Sad, very sad.
problems for doctors volunteering http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/04/national/a123145D82.DTL
