title: Mobilizing mobile medical units for hurricane relief: the United States Public Health Service and Broward County Health Department response to hurricane Wilma, Broward County, Florida.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the outcomes of a collaborative response of federal, state, county, and local agencies in conducting syndromic surveillance and delivering medical care to persons affected by the storm through the use of mobile medical units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine mobile medical vans were staffed with medical personnel to deliver care in communities affected by the storm. Individual patient encounter information was collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 14,033 housing units were approached and checked for occupants. Of residents with whom contact was made, approximately 10 percent required medical assessment in their homes; 3,218 clients were medically evaluated on the mobile medical vans. Sixty-two percent of clients were female. The most common presenting complaints included normal health maintenance (59%), upper respiratory tract illness (10%), and other illness (10%). Injuries occurred in 9 percent. A total of 1,531 doses of medications were dispensed from the mobile medical units during the response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mobile medical units provided an efficient means to conduct syndromic surveillance and to reach populations in need of medical care who were unable to access fixed local medical facilities.
authors.affiliation: United States Public Health Services Commissioned Corps, Rockville, Maryland, USA. taylorm@azdhs.gov
authors.forename: Melanie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bajuscak
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serdula
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keiser
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Agate
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kite-Powell
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roach
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brusuelas
authors.forename: Sam S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shekar
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004190:Disasters; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D009111:Local Government; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015980:Public Health Practice; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D014492:United States Public Health Service / Q000458:organization & administration*