• COMFORT arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1 September 2007. Current USPHS detachment (Team 3): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 1 nurse, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• As COMFORT sailed toward Haiti, it held a ceremony in the Casualty Receiving Area honoring the appointment to the USPHS Regular Corps of LCDR Sue Larkin. In addition to her USPHS colleagues onboard, CAPT Bruce Boynton, Commanding Officer USNS COMFORT, also participated in the ceremony. At the conclusion of ceremony LCDR Joseph Simon, CDR Thomas White, and LCDR John Hariadi, three USPHS officers, sang the USPHS March.
• CAPT Shepherd, LT Mangum, along with their Navy colleague, CAPT Villanueva, conducted an industrial hygiene survey on the ventilation system in both the Casualty Receiving Area and the Intensive Care Unit of the COMFORT. The survey was performed to ensure the safety of hospital staff and ship crew in the event that a patient needed to be isolated before or after treatment. The supply and exhaust ventilation system was evaluated in seven rooms using a calibrated hot-wire anemometer, and the HEPA filters were inspected within the system.
• At the University Hospital, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, LTJG Paula Gomez and LCDR Lisa Starnes, both USPHS dental hygienists, have been applying fluoride varnish to the teeth of numerous Haitian patients. Also at the University Hospital, CAPT Louisa Chapman, a USPHS physician, has been seeing patients and giving lectures on various preventable diseases, and LT Jason Mangum, a USPHS environmental health officer, has been conducting training.
•  The Navy posted another video highlighting the USPHS involvement on the USNS COMFORT, especially CDR Nita Sood, the pharmacist on COMFORT Team 3. The link to the video follows: http://www.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=9833

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has just departed Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands after a 10 day stay. The PELELIU has completed its very successful 3-month international mission and is headed for port in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Current USPHS detachment (Team 3): 2 physicians, 1 physician assistant, 3 environmental health officers, 2 environmental engineers, 1 pharmacist (OIC). 
• CAPT Wilcox, a USPHS general surgeon, has been performing various surgeries aboard the PELELIU during the ship’s stay in the Marshall Islands. LT Branch, a USPHS physician assistant, has also been busy seeing patients and leading teams of USPHS and Navy personnel on MEDCAP missions ashore.
• The USPHS environmental health officers did extensive work in the Marshall Islands, testing water, evaluating sewage treatment facilities, conducting food inspections, dealing with (product) quarantine issues, advising local manufacturers, and providing technical assistance and training.
• The embarked USPHS officers attended a reception honoring the President of Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) and the U.S. Ambassador to RMI on 1 September 2007.

Week # 13: 6 September – 12 September

USNS COMFORT    USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC): CAPT Craig Shepherd

• COMFORT arrived in Curacao, 10 September 2007, where the ship will be on liberty for several days. USPHS Team 3 will be departing and returning to their duty stations and will be replaced by USPHS Team 4. Current USPHS detachment (Team 4): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 2 nurses, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• The HHS Secretary, Michael O. Leavitt, visited the COMFORT on 7 September while it was in Haiti. Together with the ship’s leadership, he traveled to the University Hospital de la Paix where a COMFORT established provider site was in operation. While there, Secretary Leavitt met the Haiti Minister of Health, the Hospital Director General, and the Hospital Executive Director. The Secretary asked what they most needed and the over-whelming response was training. After this meeting, Secretary Leavitt and many others toured the facility and met many providers along the way including all the USPHS providers and many local people at this site. Once aboard the ship, he met other leadership along with USPHS officers who remained aboard the ship that day. The Secretary was able to meet every USPHS officer on Team 3, after which he had a very thorough tour of the ship before departing by helicopter back to the airport.
• While the COMFORT was in Haiti, the Preventive Medicine Team, with the assistance of Project Hope healthcare providers, initiated their mission quite successfully at Centre de Santé de la Croix des Bouquets. The Veterinary Team setup their clinic outside the Center where the Seabees busily labored to transform the facility into a secure and sanitary medical care center. COMFORT personnel enthusiastically collaborated with their Haitian colleagues. The Associated Press arrived at the site and spent approximately 1 hour taking photos/videos.
• Numerous educational and training events were conducted in Haiti that included life support and trauma management, food and water safety, pest management, respiratory diseases/Avian influenza, and infant/child care classes. The attendees were very receptive to the classes.

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has completed its mission and arrived into Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 12 September 2007. All USPHS commissioned officers will have disembarked the ship by 13 September, including CAPT Kathleen Downs, the USPHS OIC.
• Over the course of the 13-week mission, the PELELIU visited seven countries and delivered health care and/or public health services in six of them. These countries were: Republic of Philippine Islands, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Marshall Islands. A total of 16 USPHS commissioned officers participated on the PELELIU mission over its course, in three separate teams. They conducted numerous medical, dental, public health, and engineering civic action programs which provided humanitarian assistance and contributed to a sustainable public health infrastructure of the countries visited. Definitely a job well done!

Week # 14: 13 September – 19 September

USNS COMFORT    USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC): CAPT Craig Shepherd 

•  COMFORT arrived in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago on 16 September 2007 where it set-up operations and began providing a wide-array of healthcare and public health related services until the ship’s planned departure on 22 September. Current USPHS detachment (Team 4): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 2 nurses, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• In addition to providing clinical dental services on 17 September, COMFORT dental teams provided dental health care education at an elementary school in Port-of-Spain with 300 children 18 September. The Commodore is considering inviting and bringing dental patients aboard the COMFORT for treatment which is pier side in Port-of-Spain.
• While in Trinidad and Tobago, the COMFORT expects to complete 50-60 surgeries, which is fewer than in most other countries the ship has visited. However, the surgeries being performed while in Trinidad and Tobago are much more complicated and time consuming than those done in other countries thus far. The COMFORT is responding to requests for more complex surgeries made by Trinidad and Tobago. This also includes more complicated orthopedic surgeries. A surgeon from the COMFORT made a visit to a hospital to find possible surgical candidates. Patients which already have beds at the hospital are selected for surgery aboard the ship, after which they return to their hospital beds for recovery and continued care. This system works well and allows for more complex surgeries.
• The dental program is having its equipment and supplies at provider sites returned to the ship today, 19 September. They are in a “hold pattern” right now, uncertain if they will be seeing patients aboard the ship or not. • The Acting Surgeon General, RADM Kenneth Moritsugu, arrives on the COMFORT today, 19 September. Once aboard the ship he will get a thorough tour of the ship, see all patient areas and observe the delivery of clinical and public health services. He will also meet with the ship’s leadership and crew, visit health care delivery and public health assessment sites off the ship, review the ship’s operations and address the USPHS officers and other components of the ship’s crew. RADM Moritsugu will depart the ship 21 September 2007.
• The Acting Surgeon General, RADM Kenneth Moritsugu, arrives on the COMFORT today, 19 September. Once aboard the ship he will get a thorough tour of the ship, see all patient areas and observe the delivery of clinical and public health services. He will also meet with the ship’s leadership and crew, visit health care delivery and public health assessment sites off the ship, review the ship’s operations and address the USPHS officers and other components of the ship’s crew. RADM Moritsugu will depart the ship 21 September 2007.

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has completed its mission.

Week # 15: 20 September – 26 September

USNS COMFORT    USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC): CAPT Craig Shepherd

• COMFORT arrived in Georgetown, Guyana, 23 September 2007. Current USPHS detachment (Team 4): 6 physicians, 2 dentists, 4 dental hygienists, 2 nurses, 2 environmental health officers (including OIC), 1 engineer, 1 veterinarian, 1 pharmacist.
• While in Trinidad and Tobago, the COMFORT preventive medicine team hosted a biosecurity course for veterinary students at Eric Williams Medical Science Complex. The course covered disease control and preventive measures for agricultural food production. About 60 students participated in the course, which was taught by CDR Princess Campbell. CDR Campbell is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, adding additional significance to the event. The preventive medicine team has had an active role in COMFORT’s deployment by teaching disease prevention methods and awareness to local citizens as well as providing veterinary services to pets and livestock.
• Also while in Trinidad and Tobago, the COMFORT dental team provided care both on the pier and aboard ship. The dental crew provided hygiene and routine fillings, as well as complicated dental procedures such as tooth extractions. The team was also set up on the pier to screen patients and provide minor cleanings and fluoride treatments. The pier also served as a larger holding area for patients. Additional medical staff provided adult and pediatric care, optometry, physical therapy and veterinary services at various sites around Port-of-Spain.
• In cooperation from Trinidad and Tobago medical professionals nearly 100 surgeries were performed aboard the COMFORT. Two Trinidad and Tobago doctors assisted and observed during a range of surgeries, including hernia repairs, cataract surgeries, hysterectomies and a variety of others. In addition, the COMFORT pharmacists filled 11,300 prescriptions ashore at two locations over 5 days, and over 800 inpatient prescriptions on the ship.
• After arriving into Guyana, 4 officers of the Preventive Team (CAPT Shepherd-USPHS, LCDR Rhambarose-USPHS, LCDR Hanley-USPHS and LT Sproul-USN) met, with Mr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Minister of Health and 6 other chief health officials of Guyana. These officials requested support and assistance in the review and comment on a medical waste disposal proposal, biosecurity presentation, an entomologists to visit Port Health officials regarding vectors (rats and insects) that arrive on ships at their port and to meet with occupational/safety and health personnel at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

USS PELELIU     USPHS OIC: CAPT Kathleen Downs

• PELELIU has completed its mission.