ACR Response to Hurricane Katrina
Many rheumatologists and health professionals have contacted the ACR
about how they can assist in the relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
The ACR is extremely concerned about the welfare of the victims of the
hurricane as well as the emerging medical and public health problems caused
by the on-going flooding.
For information on how you can give or receive help, the ACR has created
a forum for discussion, and gathered the following.
Ways to Help:
The Department of Health and Human Services is coordinating medical volunteers
through a database. Many specialties are requested.
HHS: www.hhs.gov/katrina/
American Medical Association: www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/15474.html
PhRMA is coordinating the donations of many of its pharmaceutical
company members' donations: www.phrma.org/mediaroom/press/releases/01.09.2005.1238.cfm
Connect through the Arthritis Foundation
The ACR and AF are asking members who can volunteer to contact their local
AF chapter for more information. Learn more.
The AMA is working with David J. Brailer, MD, PhD, National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology, and numerous other groups to expand
http://www.KatrinaHealth.org to
provide physicians access to prescription records of patients displaced
by hurricaines Katrina and Rita. A final determination on expanding this
important resource will be made as soon as specific needs are determined.
If you are a licensed physician and are treating a Hurricane Katrina
evacuee, you are permitted to use KatrinaHealth.org. To receive a login
and password, please contact the AMA's Unified Service Center at (800)
262-3211, which is available 24 hours a day. Physicians will be asked
specific questions to validate their identity and credentials.
Local Resources:
Physicians in Alabama: www.masalink.org/
Physicians in Louisiana: www.lsms.org/
Physicians in Mississippi: www.msmaonline.com/
Physicians in Texas: www.texmed.org Note: for additional information about how to volunteer in Texas,
contact .
Assistance for Members in Need
To date, the ACR has received only a few inquiries from members whose
personal and professional lives have been affected by the hurricane.
To help them determine their needs, and because
members in states hosting large numbers of displaced Gulf Coast residents
may also feel an impact, the ACR has established an online forum to allow
members to communicate directly about needs, and offers of help.
You can post to the Hurricane Katrina forum without
logging in. To log in for the other forums, use your member id and password
just as you do on the web site itself.
If you post without logging in, you should include your name and address
on the message, if that is pertinent to your message. Visit
the Forum
In response to the devastation and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, HEALTHe CAREERS Network,
in cooperation with ACR CareerConnection has
created a Web site dedicated
to this and other volunteer, disaster and emergency relief efforts. This site provides critical information to and
for healthcare professionals who both need and would like to provide assistance.
Members that have created temporary positions specifically
for healthcare professionals displaced by Hurricane Katrina can
post their positions at no charge on your association job bank through
October 31 st , 2005. Members who would like to take
advantage of this offer should call HEALTHe CAREERS Customer
Care Department at 1-888-884-8242 and tell the customer service consultant
they want to post a temporary job to help displaced victims of Katrina,
or send an E-mail to: info@healthecareers.com .
Displaced Fellows - The ACGME
has posted information for displaced follows about how to further instructions on how fellows and programs should go about arranging any transfers related to Hurricane Katrina. There is also information about funding related to institutions who take on those displaced students.
Small Business Assistance - The Small Business Association has a loan
system set up for exactly that, with specific information on Katrina.
http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/index.html Individuals who own small
businesses (as well as all individuals) can apply for FEMA grants at http://www.fema.gov/about/process/.
CMS Flexes to Ease Coverage Concerns
CMS released
a fact sheet outlining its efforts with respect to Medicaid
and SCHIP, designed to expedite access to the programs' benefits for those
who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
CMS and HHS officials explained that they have established an e-mail
address at katrinalogistics@hhs.gov that physicians, medical societies
and clinics can use as a contact point for logistical help if, for
example, a shelter experiences a shortage of a particular drug, or if
patients experience problems using Medicaid cards in states to which they
have been evacuated.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has acted to assure
that the Medicare, Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance
Programs will flex to accommodate the emergency health care needs of beneficiaries
and medical providers in the Hurricane Katrina devastated states. Read
more on the CMS Site.
Pharmaceutical Company Response
Several pharmaceutical companies have taken steps to ensure medications
continue to be available to patients and their physicians in areas affected
by hurricane Katrina. The following is a summary of what companies have
told us they are doing:
Abbott Immunology
To date, $3.5 million in product donations from Abbott are being distributed
through their relief partners to all five affected states. These include
nutritional, medical and pharmaceutical products. In addition, the diagnostics
division has deployed three of their Architour semi-trailer trucks and
personnel to the area to distribute products and help set up mobile labs,
and i-STAT hand-held blood analyzers are enabling health care professionals
in the area to perform vital medical tests on hurricane victims.
Centocor
Formed a task force charged with ensuring any displaced Remicade patients
can access therapy. To date, they have been successful in contacting
21 out of 76 sites of care in the region to provide assistance. In
order to expedite efforts to reconnect patients with their physicians,
the AccessOne team has been reaching out to all providers located in the
affected states. Of the offices that are open, 15 of them have stated
that they would be willing to assume additional patient load to assist
patients who have lost their sites of care. Centocor has also initiated
outreach to patients whose sites of care are closed, in order to link
them with another site and determine that site's willingness to help.
Centocor continues to pursue opportunities to provide Remicade free of
charge where necessary and appropriate in the affected areas. The
patient assistance processes will be changed in order to accommodate the
patients affected. Access information will be communicated to these
patients when the process is finalized.
Merck & Company, Inc.
The Merck Company Foundation made an immediate $1 million donation to
the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support relief efforts
associated with Hurricane Katrina. Merck is working closely with the Departments
of Health of affected states and HHS to assess the need for donated Merck
vaccines, antibiotics and other necessary medicines. The Company
has already donated more than U.S. $2.6 million in vaccines for hepatitis
A, hepatitis B, Hemophilus influenzae type b (HIB), measles, mumps and
rubella to assist relief efforts. Merck expects to continue to make substantial
donations of medicines and vaccines as the need is assessed. Additional
shipments of Merck medicines worth more than $140,000 are being delivered
through the non-governmental organizations Direct Relief International,
Interchurch Medical Assistance, MAP International and Project HOPE. In
addition, Merck has made a commitment to replace prescription medicines
for patients (through retail pharmacies or Merck's Patient Assistance
Program) who may have lost their existing prescriptions as a result of
Hurricane Katrina.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
For the next 30 days, Wyeth will be partnering with licensed pharmacies
to provide Wyeth products to affected patients allowing time for these
patients to regain access to their insurance or social programs. Wyeth
will provide up to a free 30-day replacement supply of Wyeth products
through licensed and authorized pharmacies providing they meet certain
conditions. Pharmacies can begin filling prescriptions immediately. However,
all pharmacies that meet the criteria must enroll with Wyeth Customer
Service by September 9, 2005 . Additionally, beginning Tuesday, September
6, 2005, Wyeth will implement emergency response to patients in affected
areas who are enrolled in their Patient Assistance Program. For
the next 60 days, Wyeth will upon individual request, immediately repeat
the shipment of any current prescriptions, regardless of the time interval
since the last filling. Shipment must still be directed to a licensed
MD or pharmacist. Also, until October 31, 2005, for patients in the affected
areas, the Company will wave some of the requirements normally necessary
for enrollment. Starting September 6, 2005, pharmacies wishing to enroll
in emergency dispensing and patients participating in the Wyeth
Patient Assistance Program can call Wyeth Customer Service at 1-800-666-7248,
Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00p.m. EST. In
addition, Wyeth announced that it is providing a $1 million cash donation
to relief agencies, including the American Red Cross and The Children's
Health Fund, that are leading the way in assisting those living in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
