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Edition=20 19=E2=80=94February 2010

In=20 This Issue:

Featured=20 Article

Tips

MRC/NACCHO=20 Connections

Announcements

February=E2=80=94American=20 Heart Month

LINKS

MRC

2010=20 Integrated Medical, Public Health, Preparedness, and = Response=20 Training Summit

MRC=20 at NACCHO

Featured=20 Article

Northwest=20 Louisiana MRC and Partnering Organization Vaccinate = Vulnerable=20 Population in Community

The homeless population has = been=20 receiving great attention and care by the Northwest = Louisiana MRC=20 and the Pool of Siloam Medical Ministry, a non-profit free = clinic=20 which serves indigent and uninsured adults. Since 2006, the=20 Northwest Louisiana MRC and the Pool have shared a = partnership=E2=80=94 both=20 organizations work together to provide shelter, = vaccinations, and=20 health education to homeless clients in the community. =

The=20 collaboration between both organizations was jump-started by = Terry=20 Strain, the Northwest Louisiana MRC unit coordinator, and = founder/=20 executive director of Pool. Strain recruited Pool volunteers = to=20 become active in the MRC unit; therefore, a group of dual = volunteers=20 work together on a variety of shelter medical responses.=20

After a statewide ESAR-VHP/MRC conference call in = December=20 2009, a nearby parish health unit offered seasonal flu and = H1N1=20 vaccines to the MRC to be administered to the = homeless.

Each=20 Tuesday and Thursday evening (weather permitting), the MRC = and Pool=20 volunteers provide seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines at the = Hope for=20 the Homeless Day Shelter, along with H1N1 and seasonal flu=20 educational materials and food. The volunteers even visit = the=20 homeless in abandoned buildings, encampments, and streets to = ensure=20 they are receiving care.

During the first flu clinic, = temperatures dropped below freezing and the Salvation Army = delivered=20 sleeping bags to the shelter. After the food and vaccines = were=20 distributed, volunteers then ventured to homeless = encampments and=20 abandoned homes to provide blankets and food to those who = refused=20 shelter.

The next day, a warming shelter was setup = adjacent=20 to the clinic. First aid, comfort items, and medical care = were=20 provided round the clock for 4 days straight and then 12-18 = hours=20 per day, until the shelter closed on day eight. Once the = shelter had=20 closed, a total of 30 people received meals and 16 people = stayed in=20 the shelter.

The MRC and Pool volunteers have faced = some=20 tough challenges reaching out to the underprivileged. For = instance,=20 many clients will not leave their remote camps, some fear=20 injections, and intoxicated clients cannot give consent to = receive a=20 vaccination. In addition, some homeless suffer from severe = mental=20 illnesses or have histories of violence that prevents = interactions=20 with the volunteers. Although more than 100 people have been = offered=20 the vaccine, it has been refused by some people who were = more=20 focused on staying warm than receiving a = vaccination.

The=20 vaccination of this vulnerable population in the community = has=20 served great purpose=E2=80=94no clients have developed acute = illnesses and=20 there have been no outbreaks of flu in the day shelter or = populated=20 camps. The MRC and Pool volunteers expect to continue their=20 successful efforts in the community.

Strain says that = the=20 homeless population trusts the volunteers because they are, = =E2=80=9Ctreated=20 as individuals and called by name.=E2=80=9D

Tips

Contact local homeless = shelters=20 and faith-based organizations in your community to see if = there=20 are volunteer opportunities.
Develop an MOU with a = homeless=20 shelter.To view a sample MOU template with a Red Cross = Chapter,=20 visit: http://www.mmsend9.com/ls.= cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D8714239&m=3D933371&u=3DNACCHO&s=3D= http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/MRC/resources/upload/MOU_Local_ARC= -MRC-1.pdf.
Encourage MRC volunteers = to=20 establish relationships with other volunteer organizations = in the=20 community.

MRC/NACCHO Connections

Strategic=20 National Stockpile

The = Strategic=20 National Stockpile (SNS) is a federally-funded program that=20 distributes medicine during a public health emergency. = NACCHO is=20 working to strengthen the linkage between the MRC and SNS = planning=20 to assist local jurisdictions' preparedness efforts. A = poster that=20 describes how the MRC can benefit SNS volunteers can be = found at: http://www.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&= amp;sid=3D8717644&m=3D933371&u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://www.naccho= .org/topics/emergency/SNS/upload/SNS-and-MRC.pdf.=20 The poster also describes MRC and SNS partnerships that have = worked=20 together during an SNS activation.

To assist = preparedness=20 leaders, NACCHO collects resources from SNS Preparedness = Planners=20 and places them in a STOCKBox. A STOCKbox is an online = source for=20 SNS-related tools and resources.

If your unit has = developed=20 a tool and you would like to share it with your public = health=20 colleagues, e-mail emailto:got_tools@naccho.org=20 or you can submit a tool directly through = STOCKbox.

Visit and=20 bookmark STOCKbox at: http:/= /www.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D8714241&m=3D933371&am= p;u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://www.naccho.org/stockbox=20 to learn more.

For more information about NACCHO and = the SNS,=20 visit: http://www.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D871= 4242&m=3D933371&u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://www.naccho.org/topics/e= mergency/SNS/index.cfm.

Announcements

H1N1=20 Stories from the Field

NACCHO has=20 been collecting stories from the field from local health = departments=20 nationwide. Discover what practices have worked for health=20 departments and what lessons were learned during the H1N1 = response.=20 You can also submit your own story from the field.
http://www.naccho.org/topics/H1N1/stories_search.cfm Capacity=20 Building Awards (CBA) Announcement

CBA award notifications were sent = via e-mail=20 in January 2010. If you have questions, please visit the = NACCHO Web=20 site at: http://w= ww.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D8714244&m=3D933371&= u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://www.naccho.org/mrccba,=20 or contact Chicquita Hairston at chairston@naccho.org, (202)=20 507-4224.

2010=20 Integrated Medical, Public Health, Preparedness and Response = Training Summit

The 2010 = Integrated=20 Medical, Public Health, Preparedness and Response Training = Summit=20 will be held May 12-16, 2010 in Nashville, TN. The Web site = address=20 for information regarding this training event is http://www.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D8714054&m=3D= 933371&u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://www.integratedtrainingsummit.org= .

Poster=20 submissions are currently being accepted for the training = summit=20 through Monday, March 1, 2010 5:00 P.M. EST. For additional=20 information, please visit http:= //www.mmsend9.com/ls.cfm?r=3D192811815&sid=3D8714055&m=3D933371&a= mp;u=3DNACCHO&s=3Dhttp://teams.hhs.gov/conference. Catch=20 Up on the 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit

Did you miss the 2010 Public = Health=20 Preparedness Summit, but you want to learn about what = happened? Be=20 sure to read the Summit's blog, SummitUp! to learn = about=20 different sessions and activities that occurred at the=20 Summit.
http://phprep.wordpress.com/

To submit = information=20 for either MRC: In Touch or MRC: In Focus, please contact = Megan=20 Skupien at mskupien@naccho.org = or=20 (202)783-1376.

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