Scottsdale,
Ariz. - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a new web site and a toll free number (1-866-KAT-MEDI)to help identify health care professionals and relief personnel to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Multidisciplinary health care professionals and relief personnel with expertise in the following areas are encouraged to visit the web site and register to volunteer for appointment by HHS:
Administration/Finance Officers Morticians
Chaplain Mortuary Assistants
Clinical Physicians Nursing Assistants/Nursing Support Technicians
Coroners
Nursing Staff Directors
Dental Forensics
Paramedics
Dentists
Patient Transporters/Volunteers
Dieticians
Pharmacists
EMT
Psychologists
Environmental Health Physician‘s Assistants or Nurse Practitioners
Epidemiologists
Physician Chiefs of Staff
Facility Managers
Radiologic Technicians
Housekeepers Respiratory Therapists
IT/Communications Officers
RNs
Laboratory technicians
Safety Officers
LPNs
Security Officers
Medical Clerks
Social Workers
Medical Examiners
Supply Managers
Mental Health Workers
Veterinarians
Please be advised that individuals must be healthy enough to function under field conditions. This may include all or some of the following:
- 12-hour shifts
- Austere conditions (possibly no showers, housing in tents)
- No air-conditioning
- Long periods of standing
- Sleep accommodations on bed roll
- Military “ready to eat” meals
- Portable toilets
These workers will be non-paid temporary Federal employees and will, therefore, be eligible for coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act for liability coverage and Workman‘s Compensation when functioning as HHS employees. Although there will be no salary, travel and per diem will be paid.
Volunteers with no healthcare background can find information on volunteering at the USA Freedom Corps web site or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.
Governor Janet Napolitano‘s office is coordinating relief efforts in Arizona for the evacuees that arrived in Phoenix over the weekend. More are expected to arrive in Phoenix as well as in Tucson.
Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) staff learned during a briefing that Arizona doctors � specifically physicians in Phoenix and Tucson � will be needed for the evacuees in the coming days and weeks. The need will be focused on doctors seeing the evacuees in their offices. The Governor‘s Office is looking to ArMA to provide it with a database of physicians for this purpose.
ArMA has created an online form that physicians can access, fill out and email. Click on “I‘m ready to help victims of Hurricane Katrina” to get to the web site.
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