Editor’s note: The following was forwarded to this newspaper by the office of Representative Jim Whorton and offers a glimpse at one state agency’s respnse to Hurricane Katrina.
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Dear Representative:
I am pleased to give you an update on the many activities the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has underway to assist in providing relief to hurricane victims and expert help in addressing serious public health concerns in the disaster area.
DHSS is working with a wide array of local, state, and federal agencies and organizations to provide relief to hurricane victims. The DHSS Department Situation Room (DSR) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serves as a command and control center for public health issues.
The DSR hotline, 1-800-392-0272, is receiving calls from licensed medical professionals who are willing to volunteer to assist individuals of this disaster with relief and recovery efforts. A volunteer registration form has been placed on the DHSS web site at www.dhss.mo.gov. The DHSS web site is updated routinely and provides information and links for individuals interested in volunteering as well as information on possible health issues of displaced persons and recommended immunizations for emergency responders.
DHSS has received an overwhelming number of calls from organizations across the state offering facilities and supplies for temporary shelters for displaced individuals including ambulance services and long-term care facilities. Local public health agencies have aided numerous displaced individuals and are working with many organizations in their local communities to provide service centers and shelters.
As you may know, DHSS is working together with SEMA, the Department of Mental Health, St. Louis City and County public officials, Lambert St. Louis International Airport, American Red Cross, hospitals, local public health agencies, retail stores, and many other private and public organizations to ensure that we are ready to help approximately 2,000 persons who will be arriving at a temporary shelter near the St. Louis airport. Several DHSS emergency response and preparedness personnel and I have had the privilege of being onsite during the past few days to help coordinate plans to provide food, water, and beds; medical supplies; medical and public health screenings; counseling assistance; and immunizations. Our goal is to make the transition more comfortable by providing for the basic health needs of individuals displaced by this devastating event. This is an awesome facility and the work that has been accomplished since Saturday, taking this building from an empty shell to a temporary housing and medical assessment center, is remarkable. Please let me know if you would like to see photos or learn more about the center.
Some other activities underway across the state include:
*Kansas City has opened a reception center and is expecting 500 evacuees; public health nurses are on call.
*Springfield has opened a service center; hundreds have already arrived and more are expected.
*St. Louis County is establishing a regional assistance center.
*Dunklin County has provided health assessments to more than 100 displaced persons.
*Cape Girardeau may be receiving 300 displaced individuals.
DHSS will continue to work in coordination with local public health agencies throughout the state and side-by-side with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to ensure that displaced individuals entering Missouri receive the utmost attention to their health care needs.
Please feel free to contact me or the DSR at 1-800-392-0272 if you have any questions regarding the DHSS Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts.
Julia M. Eckstein
Director
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
912 Wildwood
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102
573/526-6700