Disaster Resources
Haiti Earthquake Response
Haiti experienced a horrific earthquake on January 12, 2010. It is estimated that tens of thousands of lives have been lost, with more people trapped or injured. SCCM is in touch with authorities regarding this situation and is collating information on the various organizations soliciting volunteers and donations. We will keep this page updated as we learn more.
After more than a week has passed since the initial earthquake that destroyed much of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, aftershocks continue and the needs of survivors mount. For details, please see the message from the SCCM President, Dr. Judith Jacobi.
To hear stories from those members on location, visit our blog site. View a photographic record from SCCM's Disaster Field Team as they travel from their base in Santo Domingo to Jimani. See the improvised hospitals set up in this border town, using nearby buildings, tents, and trailers to house patients. See what the team saw in Santo Domingo as dedicated medical staff try to care for ill and injured Haitians as well as their own people in need. View all of the moving photographs at http://www.sccmblogs.org/galleryRD.
Volunteer Opportunities
Below are the organizations with whom SCCM has been in contact regarding members of the critical care team travelling to Haiti to provide medical care. For the details on how to volunteer and what will be required, visit each organizations' website through the provided link.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - HHS has set up an email address where medical professionals can send offers of volunteer medical care services to assist in the ongoing effort to provide healthcare to the people of Haiti. People/groups interested in volunteering should send an email to Haiti.volunteer@hhs.gov.
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Project HOPE - Preferential considerations for priority deployment include the ability to self-fund air transportation, as well as experience in disaster relief operations and French and/or Creole speaking ability. Volunteers must be coordinated through Project HOPE prior to travel. Details are posted on the Project HOPE website.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Medical personnel and medical supplies from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have hit the ground in Haiti. HHS is leading the U.S.
medical and public health response. For their most recent information on Haiti, click here. Volunteer online for the National Disaster Medical System.
Centers for International Disaster Information – People with experience in disaster relief who wish to volunteer assistance can do so through the CIDI Database or visit www.cidi.org for the most recent information on their relief efforts, including opportunities to donate equipment and medicine.
Partners in Health (PIH) - PIH operates a hospital in Haiti and is seeking surgeons (especially trauma/orthopedic surgeons), emergency room doctors and nurses, and full surgical teams (including anesthesiologists, scrub and post-op nurses, and nurse anesthetists). If you are a health professional interested in volunteering, contact PIH directly. Visit www.pih.org/inforesources/news/Haiti_Earthquake.html for more information.
Access to Disaster Resources
The Society of Critical Care Medicine has made available selected chapters from Fundamental Critical Care Support, Fourth Edition, and Fundamental Disaster Management, Third Edition. Access these chapters for information to help recognize and care for critically ill patients during times of disaster.
Fundamental Critical Care Support, Fourth Edition
Chapter 1 - Recognition and Assessment of the Seriously Ill Patient
Chapter 1 - (Spanish) – Evaluacíon del Paciente Grave
Fundamental Disaster Management, Third Edition
Chapter 2 – Intensive Care Unit Microcosm Within Disaster Medical Response
Chapter 3 – Augmenting Critical Care Capacity During a Disaster
Chapter 9 – Disasters Produced by Natural Phenomena
Chapter 10 – Caring for Critically Ill Children
Chapter 11 – Delivering Acute Care to Chronically Ill Adults in Shelters
Chapter 12 – Palliative Care and Mental Health Issues
Chapter 13 – Disaster Triage and Allocation of Scarce Resources
Chapter 14 – Sustained Mechanical Ventilation Outside of Traditional Intensive Care Units
Operational Biosurveillance Priorities For Potentially Disruptive Infectious Disease Events - Anthrax, dengue, diarrheal disease, and pandemic influenza are key diseases of potential for generating acute disruption in the context of the current disaster response operation in Haiti. Click here to find out more.
Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response - This notice is to advise relief workers and other personnel traveling to Haiti to assist with the humanitarian response following the January 12th earthquake near Port-au-Prince. Conditions in the area remain hazardous, including extensive damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Click here for more information.
Financial Contributions
The organizations listed below are among many that are accepting cash donations to help those in need in Haiti.
- Hospital Albert Schweitzer – This hospital, located in Deschapelles, Haiti, 40 miles NW of Port-Au-Prince, has received some damage but is still operating and helping to provide medical care to the overwhelming numbers of Haitians injured in the recent earthquake. They do not currently have the capability to accept material goods or personnel but are in need of funds to pay overtime wages to the staff and to buy replacement medicines and supplies. If you would like to make a donation that will have immediate impact, you can do so on their website www.hashaiti.org.
- American Red Cross – Donations can be made through www.redcross.org.
Haiti - Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Situation Report
Click here for PAHO/WHO Guidelines for Response to Earthquakes
For current situation reports on the Earthquake in Haiti, please click here.
Current Threats
H1N1
The Society is responding to the current H1N1 influenza outbreak. Visit www.sccm.org/H1N1 for resources.
Threats to Monitor
Pandemics
To help keep communities healthy during the flu season, click here for specific action steps to support flu response efforts. The status of pandemic threats can be monitored by searching the contents of the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal and a new page maintained by the U.S. Government.
Natural Disasters
Visit the Natural Disasters and Severe Weather section of the CDC website for information on natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, etc.
U.S. Terrorism Threat Level
Click here for a description of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Advisory System. The DHS site also includes a Citizens Page, which provides a basic overview on what people can do to prepare against attack, and recommends visiting the ready.gov Web page for further information.
Biological Terrorism Response Manual
A bioterrorism STAT manual for the identification and management of the principal diseases associated with biological terrorism is available here.
Mass Trauma
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has redesigned its Emergency Preparedness and Response Mass Casualty Website, which provides information on topics, such as coping with a traumatic event, rapid assessment of injuries, explosion and blast injuries, possible research, and injuries, mass trauma and nerve agent fact sheets.
To read selected presentations from CDC speakers at the 1st National Congress on Public Health Readiness click here. This site is also available in Spanish.
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress offers downloadable information on Acute Traumatic Stress Management (ATSM). In addition, the CDC's Traumatic Incident Stress web page contains information on physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral stress. It also offers a guideline on how to overcome these barriers.
Avian Influenza
While the threat of pandemic avian influenza has lessened, the CDC identifies that the Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) retains the potential to mutate and pose a major threat to humans, possibly leading to a pandemic. For updates on the threat of pandemics and steps being taken by health officials worldwide, check the CDC's site here.
Hazardous Material
The CDC offers information to help prepare for protection during and after a chemical emergency. Click here for further details.
West Nile Virus
Clinical Guidelines (CDC)
Overview on transmission, symptoms, and prevention.
The pages providing statistics and maps are now available here.
Nuclear/Radiation Threat
United Nations
Learn about the UN's view of past and present disarmament issues.
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)
A private organization that monitors today's global threats.
American College of Radiology
The ACR has published "Radiation Disasters: Preparedness and Response for Radiology." This primer serves as a quick reference in the event of a radiation disaster and summarizes current information on preparing for a radiation emergency, handling contaminated persons and radiation exposure health effects. In addition, the primer includes information on radiological findings related to agents of biological and chemical terrorism.
The CDC offers a variety of information on Radiation. Click here for further details.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Disaster Preparedness Resources
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) enhances the ability of hospitals and healthcare systems to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
The Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program (BTCDP) provides funds via cooperative agreements to educational institutions to develop emergency preparedness training curricula for healthcare professionals and other first responders. When the program started in 2002, it focused on bioterrorism training; however, since 2006, training has focused on all types of hazards, including other forms of terrorism (e.g., the use of chemical, explosive, incendiary, or nuclear agents against civilian populations), natural disasters, and any type of public health emergency.
The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response oversees the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) Program. ESAR-VHP was started to establish a national network of State-based programs that effectively facilitate the use of health professional volunteers in local, State, and Federal emergency responses.