The Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps is providing a variety of medical and public health support to the Red Lake Chippewa Reservation. This mission is the result of a tragic school shooting which occurred at the local high school on March 21. Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD) officers are working within the community, at the Red Lake PHS Hospital, and at schools in the community to provide mental health care and counseling, medical, nursing, dietitian, medical records, and pharmacy services.
Earthquake in SumatraOn March 28, a massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake occurred off the Island of Sumatra. The quake caused significant destruction on two islands near the epicenter. The Island of Nias was most affected, with over 1,000 dead and many thousand injured. The hospital in Gunungsitoli was destroyed. The ship, USNS Mercy, which was returning from its mission to the tsunami, turned about, headed back to Indonesia, and is now positioned off the northeast coast of Nias. Again, the U.S. Navy requested the support of the PHS Commissioned Corps. OFRD deployed 10 officers: 3 environmental health officers; 2 engineers; 2 physicians; 1 pharmacist; and 2 dentists. The OFRD team has worked on board the USNS Mercy, at clinics on Nias, and in many communities distantly located on the island. Travel to these sites has been via helicopter or small craft. The OFRD team has addressed public health issues as varied as building inspections for structural stability; water, wastewater, and sewer issues; collection of environmental samples to investigate an outbreak of respiratory problems; and an outbreak of dysentery. The team has also provided primary medical care, dental services, and pharmacy support. They continue to represent all of us to the suffering people of Indonesia in the highest traditions of the Corps.
For more information regarding the USNS Mercy see http://www.msc.navy.mil/mediacenter/default.asp?page=mercy. For more information that is specific to PHS Commissioned Corps officers, see http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/journal/
Pharmacy Mission to Belcourt, North Dakota
The Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility in Belcourt requested OFRD
support because of a severe shortage of pharmacists. The facility has not been
able to fill these positions despite active recruitment and other means of
obtaining support. Due to this severe shortage, the facility is limiting access
to services and that has resulted in an urgent public health need. This mission
began in April and will run through October.
TOPOFF III
The
TOPOFF III exercise occurred April 4 through 8. The TOPOFF III Exercise is a
Congressionally mandated, national comprehensive terrorism response exercise.
It is made up of a 2-year cycle of seminars, planning events, and training
culminating in a full-scale exercise that simulates a coordinated terrorist
attack involving biological and chemical weapons. This year, OFRD officers were
stationed in a variety of TOPOFF locations: Washington, DC; Philadelphia; New
Jersey; Boston; and Connecticut as well as in the Operating Division Emergency
Operations Centers in Rockville and Atlanta. In
March, OFRD sent two officers to participate in the Medical Management of
Chemical and Biological Casualties Course (MMCBC). MMCBC teaches the threat and
treatment of chemical and biological agents as well as the field medical
management of casualties.
In
May, OFRD will send officers to the Department of Defense-led Joint Operations
Medical Managers Course (JOMMC) in San Antonio.
Mental Health Disaster Response Training will once again be offered this summer. Please check the OFRD Training Web page for all upcoming courses offered -
http://ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf/FY%202005%20Training%20Page.htm As
of April 28, 71.6 percent of the Corps met all of the requirements for Basic
readiness. This exceptional achievement could not have occurred without the
overwhelming support of every category and every Operating Division/Staff
Division and non-Department of Health and Human Services organization that
employs Corps officers. Thank you.