title: Houston's medical disaster response to Hurricane Katrina: part 2: transitioning from emergency evacuee care to community health care.
abstract: After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, thousands of ill and injured evacuees were transported to Houston, TX. Houston's regional disaster plan was quickly implemented, leading to the activation of the Regional Hospital Preparedness Council's Catastrophic Medical Operations Center and the rapid construction of a 65-examination-room medical facility within the Reliant Center. A plan for triage of arriving evacuees was quickly developed and the Astrodome/Reliant Center Complex mega-shelter was created. Herein, we discuss major elements of the regional disaster response, including regional coordination, triage and emergency medical service transfers into the region's medical centers, medical care in population shelters, and community health challenges.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Houston, TX 77098, USA. douglash@bcm.tcm.edu
authors.forename: Douglas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gavagan
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Upton
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Havron
authors.forename: Avrim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fishkind
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Persse
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shank
authors.forename: Umair A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattox
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010360:Patient Transfer; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013781:Texas; D014218:Triage