Webmaster note: Many district 5220 Rotary clubs contributed to the fund for the Mobile Medical Clinic. The letter below mentions the Modesto Rotary club which served as the lead club and as representative of all participating clubs. See also the original story - select from the menu at the left Mobile Clinic - Katrina Response.

Katrina Medical Relief

Summary Report

To:             Modesto Rotary Club

From         Voice of Calvary Family Health Center

                   September 2, 2005 thru June 29, 2007

BACKGROUND

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Voice of Calvary Family Health Center (VOCFHC) has provided a fully equipped medical mobile unit (MoMed) since September 2005 to deliver primary health care services to low to moderate income and Katrina affected areas in Mississippi.  With significant support from the Rotary Club of Modesto, California, MoMed has been position in three (3) areas with varying degrees of hurricane devastation:  1) Pike County 2) East Biloxi and 3) Bay St. Louis.  VOCFHC has partnered with Coastal Family Health Centers (referred to as Coastal), which experienced the decimation of four (4) of its eight (8) clinics or ½ of all of their facilities.  When we sent our last report in October, 2006, MoMed had accommodated 2,845 patients and Coastal tracked patients by demographic characteristics of age, sex, gender and form of payment. 

MoMed was first stationed in east Biloxi populated primarily by low income and minority residents impacted severely by storm surge.  Dr. Scott Russell, primary provider in Biloxi was able to find a more permanent facility through the donation of a modular building.  VOCFHC made the contact for this donation.

During the most critical weeks immediately after Hurricane Katrina, VOCFHC recruited volunteer medical staff to do mobile outreach in Pike County.  McComb, the largest city in Pike County, became a sanctuary for many Katrina evacuees.  In the McComb area, 70% of the patients exhibited elevated blood pressure, diabetes and stress levels.  Both for resident and evacuee patients, health and lifestyle issues such as poor eating habits and obesity associated with chronic cardiovascular disease were apparent.  More critically, during the Katrina aftermath, chronic diseases reached elevated levels.  VOCFHC also established a Compassion Service Fund to assist patients with health related financial needs such as prescription medications.

In January 2006, MoMed relocated to Bay St. Louis where infrastructure was largely destroyed.  An onsite internist saw patients two (2) days per week and a pediatrician saw patients (3) days per week.  Several nurses affected by the hurricane have chosen to stay and work in the area even under personal and community wide distress.  MoMed allowed local physicians displaced by the hurricane to address their patient caseload.  The existing hospital, the only medical facility other than the VOCFHC sponsored medical unit, was operating at 1/3 capacity.  The hospital was so overwhelmed that it requested that Coastal and VOCFHC continue to operate MoMed to address the community’s health care needs and mitigate the hospitals lack of capacity.

Coastal medical staff reported the recurrence of key illnesses and symptoms related to Katrina in adults:  “Katrina cough” or upper respiratory conditions exacerbated by exposure to mold, airborne precipitates, toxins, asbestos, and debris; yeast infections; blood pressure; diabetes; various stages of depression, and skin reactions.  The staff reported the following conditions and symptoms among pediatric patients:  “Katrina cough,” stomach complaints and skin irritation.  Another crisis was the infestation of Brown Recluse Spiders that present a continuing danger.

Without transportation and situated among debris and devastation, many residents moved inland away from the coastal shore.  As a result, they lived in smaller enclaves without access to basic amenities and health care.  In addition, residents lived in motels, state parks, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer camps devoid of onsite healthcare facilities and with limited availability of medications.  The mobile clinic provided immediate and on-going access.  Other residents were engaged in building/home repairs and volunteerism which further exposed them to potential hazards and complications.  In several zip codes in Harrison, Hancock, and other coastal counties, the American Lung Association certified that pre-Katrina air quality issues worsened as a result of the natural disaster.

The Compassion Service Fund is a restricted capital resource to purchase medications, supplies, eyeglasses, and other medical needs not covered by public funds, insurance, and patient self-payments.  The fund may be used to assist patients in paying for specialty medical appointments and transportation.  VOCFHC worked with local churches, philanthropies and individual donors to contribute to this fund.

To operate the medical unit required coordination between the community and medical professionals through a Community Health Organizer.  The Community Health Organizer performed the following tasks:  1) recruit pharmaceutical companies to expand the Compassion Service Fund  2)  recruit volunteer medical doctors and health professionals  3) oversee the production of culturally sensitive materials and disseminate existing educational materials produced by the Mississippi Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association, which have created special hurricane related materials and toolkits  4) organize community forums   5) monitor and schedule the use of the mobile unit  6) organize faith-based and local partnerships and 7) collect weekly patient demographics.  Building on indigenous networks, VOCFHC worked to organize local communities to identify their local medical professionals to provide care.

DELIVERY OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES POST KATRINA

In the months following the hurricane, the MoMed provided services in three primary service areas:  Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, and McComb.  In addition, VOCFHC was  able to utilize a second RV to provide counseling services which is in great demand.

Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, McComb sites

Total primary care patients seen                                                          2,845

% Low Income                                                                                           76%

% Children                                                                                                 41%

Total pharmaceuticals provided                                                         11,750

(Includes prescriptions, doctor visits, transportation, etc)

ACTIVITIES IN 2007:

VOCFHC requested the further use of the Medical RV in January of 2007 to be able to provide screenings for students in the public schools in our primary target area of Jackson.  At the time, we had been in discussion with public school officials and had been led to believe that we would be able to solidify this relationship in the early weeks of 2007.  However, extensive delays ensued due to red tape within the school system and with gaining approval from Medicare and Medicaid.  In the end, we were not able to use the vehicle in this way.

We were able to make some use of the mobile medical unit by working with local groups.  The medical unit was used in Jackson, Mississippi in February at a local school where we were able to screen 63 children.  We took the unit back to Biloxi, Mississippi on May 5, 2007 during the Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Latino community.  We were able to screen 81 people.

Since collaborations with the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation’s Mall Services Community Outreach Team the mobile unit was used on June 2, at the Kingdom Builders Annual Community Day to screen 37 patients, on July 19^th for the National Baptist Convention’s Youth Initiative where screenings were made available to the over 1,000 youths and sponsors who were in attendance and on August 25 for the Simpson County Community Action Agency Community Day/Health Fair.  

The above activities could not have been a success without the availability the Mobile Health Unit donated by your group.  With your kind donation,  free medical services have been provided and/or made available to over 4,000 underserved residents of Mississippi.