 Hurricane Katrina: Health Resources for Recovery Efforts
Health Association Resources
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
The ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the state and territorial public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia. They have put together a list of resources relating to public health issues which may be helpful in relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
Among the resources listed is a document by the Texas Department of State Health Services which lists important considerations in planning to receive evacuees from hurricane Katrina.
Katrina Health
KatrinaHealth.org is a new, free, and secure online service which can connect Katrina evacuees, doctors, and pharmacists with important information about the prescription drugs evacuees were taking before they were forced to flee their homes. It was created on a volunteer basis through a joint effort by many partners, including the American Red Cross, American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians. For a full list of supporters, please visit http://www.katrinahealth.org/.
Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA)
The Louisiana Hospital Association has launched a web site, http://www.lahospitals.net/, to help families locate Louisiana hospital patients transferred to other hospitals in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The site offers a searchable database that will be updated as LHA receives patient data from hospitals across the country. LHA also has posted to its Web site disaster-related information and instructions from health insurers and payers. In other news, LHA reports that Direct Relief International is offering donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to Louisiana hospitals.
Mutual Aid Resources
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
The purpose of this compact is to provide for mutual assistance between the states entering into this compact in managing any emergency or disaster that is duly declared by the governor of the affected state(s), whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, civil emergency aspects of resources shortages, community disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack. Since being ratified by Congress and signed into law, in 1996, (Public Law 104-321), 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have enacted legislation to become members of EMAC.
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