According to the Department of Homeland Security, federal disaster declarations now cover 90,000 square miles of U.S. coastal areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. In coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing mass care to disaster victims at shelters and medical units across the Gulf Coast with distribution of needed food, water, medications and supplies.
The U.S. Coast Guard alone saved more than 9,500 lives, and more than 35,000 evacuations have been made from New Orleans. The American Red Cross, in coordination with the Southern Baptists, is preparing to serve nearly 500,000 hot meals each day, and as of this morning, the relief organization estimates that more than 142,000 evacuees are being housed just in its shelters.
While at present there are no estimates of the number of home medical equipment providers in Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi--or their patients--who have been displaced by the devastating storm, the HME community has responded with an outpouring of support and offers of help.
The American Association for Homecare reports that it has been in contact with the Red Cross, CMS, FEMA, state associations and other agencies to coordinate assistance, and has established a Hurricane Katrina Information Center on its Web site at www.aahomecare.org. The site includes details about home care relief efforts, a special link to the Red Cross for home care donations, CMS and Palmetto GBA bulletins on administrative issues and other information about the impact of Katrina on the home care community.
The VGM Group, www.vgm.com, and The Med Group, www.medgroup.com, also have posted Katrina-related information and are offering assistance and support to affected providers.
On Thursday, VGM distributed nationwide requests for donations of HME and supplies for the benefit of hurricane victims. The buying group is offering an array of member support services including an HME hotline with information on assistance for HME patients involved in hurricane evacuations; help for displaced oxygen patients and emergency HME medical equipment needs; CMS' rules about replacing Medicare equipment damaged or lost in the hurricane or flood; insurance claims for inventory losses, business interruption and property damage losses; and tips from manufacturers about putting select types of equipment back in service after water damage.
The Med Group has posted a special number to call for donation of wheelchairs to be sent to the Houston Astrodome, along with information about other requested supplies, information from CMS and a list of relief and local resources.
"We appreciate the offers of help, but because of the lack of communication it is difficult to determine what is needed and where to send it," said Mike Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Durable Medical Equipment Association (ADMEA). "We don't have a clue about how many providers have been knocked out. There are a bunch of businesses [in the area], and we don't know whether or where the owners have evacuated, much less their customers."
In Louisiana, it is some help that power was restored in parts of Baton Rouge this morning, according to Wanda Ellis, a member of the Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (MESA) board, covering Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. "There hasn't been a really organized effort because we've been without power for a week," Ellis said, adding that "everyone is pitching in to help but it's just very random.
"We are trying to touch base with as many providers as we can so that we can organize a relief effort," she continued. "We are getting calls from people saying, 'My provider is flooded. How do I get oxygen?' It's been hectic trying to respond because we don't know who is up and operating.
"If any providers want to call in and let us know [the situation], we are developing a list of who's available and who's not so that we can give people the list."
For the time being, both Hamilton and Ellis advise any members of the home care community who would like to volunteer services, personnel or equipment to contact FEMA or the Red Cross. "There are gasoline shortages and problems with delivery," Hamilton said, "and there has to be warehousing and storage available" since equipment and supplies cannot be sent directly to the stricken areas. He said even some providers in the region whose businesses were spared are having to triage deliveries because they do not have enough gas to make normal runs.
Providers also can contact AAHomecare by e-mail at info@aahomecare.org to donate equipment or services. The association says it will attempt to match any offers with local relief efforts or home care organizations in affected areas.
And past the immediate effort, Hamilton reminded, "What we will need later is some way to help [the hurricane's victims] when they get into semi-permanent residences somewhere. We can't keep the Astrodome filled with people forever."