Citation

Vora NM, Grober A, Goodwin BP, Davis MS, McGee C, Luckhaupt SE, Cockrill JA, Ready S, Bluemle LN, Brewer L, Brown A, Brown C, Clement J, Downie DL, Garner MR, Lerner R, Mahool M, Mojica SA, Nolen LD, Pedersen MR, Chappell-Reed MJ, Richards E, Smith J, Weekes KC, Dickinson J, Weir C, Bowman TI, Eckes J. J. Emerg. Manag. 2018; 16(3): 203-206.

Affiliation

Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Weston Medical Publishing)

DOI

10.5055/jem.2018.0369

PMID

30044493

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the challenges of service coordination through the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) for Hurricane Maria evacuees, particularly those on dialysis.

DESIGN: Public health report. SETTING: Georgia. REPORT: On November 25, 2017, there were 208 patients evacuated to Georgia in response to Hurricane Maria receiving NDMS support. Most were evacuated from the US Virgin Islands (97 percent) and the remaining from Puerto Rico (3 percent); 73 percent of these patients were on dialysis, all from the US Virgin Islands. From the beginning of the evacuation response through November 25, 2017, there were 282 patients evacuated to Georgia via NDMS, with a median length of coverage through NDMS for those on and not on dialysis of 60 and 16 days, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The limited capacity and capability of dialysis centers currently in the US Virgin Islands are delaying the return to home of many Hurricane Maria evacuees who are on dialysis.

Language: en