Houston's medical disaster response to Hurricane Katrina: part 2: transitioning from emergency evacuee care to community health care.
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.
Hamilton
Douglas R
DR
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Houston, TX 77098, USA. douglash@bcm.tcm.edu
Gavagan
Thomas
T
Smart
Kieran
K
Weller
Nancy
N
Upton
Lori A
LA
Havron
Douglas A
DA
Fishkind
Avrim
A
Persse
David
D
Shank
Paul
P
Shah
Umair A
UA
Mattox
Kenneth
K
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