News Release

HHS Delivering Medical Care to Help Evacuees and Victims

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today declared a federal public health emergency and accelerated efforts to create up to 40 emergency medical shelters to provide care for evacuees and victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Working with its federal partners, HHS is helping provide and staff 250 beds in each shelter for a total of 10,000 beds for the region. Ten of these facilities will be staged within the next 72 hours and another 10 will be deployed within the next 100 hours after that. In addition, HHS is deploying up to 4,000 medically-qualified personnel to staff these facilities and to meet other health care needs in this region.

Already, HHS has helped set up a medical shelter with up to 250 beds at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge to help provide health care for those fleeing New Orleans in Katrina�s wake. As of late this morning, the facility had already screened 300 patients and admitting 45 for in-patient care.

HHS and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also are providing the region with public health personnel and expertise to address the potential for disease outbreak in the aftermath of Katrina.

�We�re delivering medical supplies, facilities and professionals into the Gulf Region to provide health care to those evacuating from New Orleans as well as victims of the hurricane throughout the region,� Secretary Leavitt said. �We�re focused on the immediate health care needs of people in the region, augmenting state and local efforts. And we�re also preparing for public health challenges that may emerge such as disease and contamination.

�Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our fellow Americans who have been affected by this hurricane,� Secretary Leavitt added. �Recovery will take time, and the road ahead will not be easy. But all of us at the Department of Health and Human Services � with our health partners � will do everything we can for as long as it takes to help protect the health and well-being of those impacted.�

An order was signed by the Secretary today to declare a public health emergency for the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. This action will allow the Department to waive certain Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP and HIPAA requirements as well as make grants and enter into contracts more expeditiously during this emergency.

Secretary Leavitt emphasized that HHS is making available all its public health and emergency response capabilities to help state and local officials provide care and assistance to victims of this hurricane.

�We all need to come together and help our neighbors in this time of need. We are asking Americans to help spread the word to both neighbors and strangers about public health warnings or directives from emergency response officials so we can reach as many people as possible. Together, we will get through this and help the people of the Gulf region rebuild their lives and their communities,� Secretary Leavitt added.

To date, the Department has taken the following steps to address this emergency:

HHS has delivered to Louisiana 27 pallets of medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile.

• These pallets include basic first-aid material (such as bandages, pads, ice packs, etc.), blankets and patient clothing, suture kits, sterile gloves, stethoscopes, blood pressure measuring kits and portable oxygen tanks. These supplies are primarily being used to set up the medical shelter at LSU in Baton Rouge.
• More medical supplies will be shipped into Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi as needed to meet any growing demands for health care equipment and supplies.

HHS has identified available hospital beds and provided health care professionals

• HHS is using the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to identify available hospital beds. HHS is working with DOD, the Veterans Administration and others to move patients to these facilities. At last count, there were 2,600 beds available in a 12-state area around the affected area. Nationwide, the NDMS has identified 40,000 available beds in participating hospitals.
• Right now, 38 US Public Health Service officers are in the region providing health care and assistance, particularly at the Baton Rouge facility. HHS has hundreds of additional public health and medical officers ready for deployment in a moment�s notice to further meet any growing needs of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
• The Department is reaching out to neighboring states, such as Texas, that are providing refuge for those evacuating the Gulf Region to make sure their needs are being met through any resources HHS can provide.

HHS has public health experts working with states in the Gulf Region to help assess threats to public health and develop pro-active responses to prevent the spread of disease and illness.

• The full resources and expertise of CDC and FDA are available to augment state and local public health resources � including chemical and toxicology teams, sanitation and public health teams, epidemiology teams and food safety teams.
• CDC experts are now working with Louisiana officials to implement a mosquito abatement program that will help prevent or mitigate an outbreak of West Nile Virus.
• Department agencies are helping states evaluate their sanitation and water systems.
• Epidemiology teams, known as disease detectives, are reaching out to state and local officials to augment efforts to monitor potential outbreaks of disease or illness.
• Public health messages (PSAs) warning about the safe consumption of food and water are being disseminated. HHS is issuing strong warnings to the public to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of generators.
• HHS is making mental health resources available to the region through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
• Blood supplies and inventory levels in the affected Gulf Coast states meeting current medical needs. The need for blood will be ongoing, especially over the next few weeks, as disaster victims require additional care, as deferred elective surgeries are rescheduled or if there should be any further emergencies. In order to maintain a healthy and adequate blood supply level, people who would like to help should call their blood banks to schedule an appointment.