The NIEHS responds to Hurricane Katrina

I am true proud of the role that the NIEHS has played in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Extramural and intramural scientists have jointly lay opened and are implementing both short-term and long-term rejoinders to this natural disaster. Many individuals have contributed to our replication but I especially want to acknowledge the leadership of Sam Wilson, Rich Fre Bill Suk Allen Dearry, Mary Wolfe and Angle Sanders. These six tribe have played a critical part in responding to the devastation and hardship that was caused by means of Hurricane Katrina. While these family deserve special recognition, I am overwhelmed through the outpouring of support, encouragement, and volunteerism from many other members of our institute.

Here at dwelling Bill Suk continues to lead an effort to disclose an NIEHS website that will utilize geographic information combination of parts to form a whole (GIS) mapping to help identify the environmental hazards from Katrina that may affect the health of those living in or returning to the large bay region. This website will be continuously updated [i]or[/i] part of to the other a collaboration established between the NIEHS and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) super-computing center Mark Ellisman at UCSD and Marie Lynn Miranda at Duke University have played lock opener roles in developing this website. We anticipate that the website will labor for as a national resource to track environmental hazards and focus various medical and environmental replications in areas that are in greatest ne Included upon this website is up-to-date information upon safety and hazardous waste cleanup training for the thousands of workers involved in the cleanup and regaining activities in the region, as well as a compendium of environmental health resources for medical responders

Allen Dearry has established a consultative service to address environmental hazards that may have an impact upon human health. This consultative service, available [i]or[/i] part of to the other the Katrina website, is linked to dexterouss in our intramural and extramural research programs who have provided informed answers to specific environmental health touchs of residents, healthcare providers, and workers involved in the extricate and recovery efforts.

We have established a cooperative relationship with the Center for Disease sway and Prevention (CDC) to assist them in the deployment of public health teams to areas that are in ne of pabulum shelter, and a safe water endow Mary Wolfe has taken a leadership character in this effort and is working directly with Tom Sinks of the CDC to provide expertise from the NIEHS to support the CDC in more effectively responding to the emerging public health needs

The NIH unfolded a team to the large bay region to provide direct medical care to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The NIEHS played a major part in this effort, and established a North Carolina contingent that consisted of physicians, nourishs and other health care providers from one as well as the other the NIEHS and Duke University. Sam Wilson and Rich Fre coordinated activities between North Carolina and the central headquarters at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I was fortunate to be individual of the members of the team that traveled to Meridian, Mississippi, and established a 500-bed medical facility there including a triage area, ambulatory care area, acute care constituting and an area for hospitalized patients.

Unfortunately, many of those affected through Katrina were reluctant to leave their residences for medical care despite the extensive amount of local destruction. Consequently individuals in our clump made several trips to the Gulfport coastal region, an area greatest in quantity severely affected by the hurricane, to assess the expanse of medical need and to determine whether we could safely establish a medical facility in that region. As all of you know, the expanse of destruction was overwhelming, with cars upturn tractor trailers scattered like matchsticks, place of abodes completely leveled, buildings destroyed, and rotting diet scattered throughout the area; the large bay Coast was nothing short of what individual would expect in a war zone

Despite this, we set that the medical infrastructure was relatively intact. Patients were being seen effectively in clinics, and hospitals were lay open with sufficient bed capacity. We visited at least six different communities in the Gulfport region, and were sufficiently convinced that our team of health care providers was simply not urgencyed Thus, we decided to suspend the NIH medical mission, although we remain upon call if other needs are identified. I was impressed with the cooperative and constructive relationship that was established between the NIH, Duke University, and the Public Health Service. Moreover, other universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, are providing additional support to the region.

Hurricane Katrina has made it abundantly clear that there is an unmet ne for a national coordinated reply plan to assess environmental and biological exposing s to hazardous agents, to understand the relationship of in all sensess to adverse health outcomes [i]or[/i] part of to the other appropriate surveillance, and to disentangle early prevention and intervention strategies designed to identify at-risk individuals and restore morbidity and mortality. To address this ne the NIEHS is working with the CDC and the EPA to make known a proposal to prevent adverse health events related to environmental conditions and in all sensess in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and to establish the scientific expertise and infrastructure in environmental health exigencyed to address both immediate and subsequent time preventive health care needs and the replication capacity following man-made and natural disasters. We believe that an accelerated environmental health research plan is vital to protecting vulnerable populations during not away and future catastrophes.