Direct Relief Continues Relief Efforts for Those Affected by Severe Weather

Additional medicine and medical supplies sent to the Midwest and Southern U.S.

June 9, 2011

On Monday, June 6 Direct Relief offered additional medications, medical supplies and products to clinics impacted by the severe flooding and tornadoes that spanned the Midwest through the Southeast. As of today, Direct Relief received seven requests for additional assistance from this offer and will fulfill the orders in the coming weeks. The offer contained items that were specifically requested by the affected clinic partners. The following companies have generously donated their inventory to fulfill clinics’ needs:

• 3M
• Abbott
• Alcon Laboratories, Inc.
• The Allergan Foundation
• AstraZeneca
• Baxter International Inc.
• BD
• Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation
• C. R. Bard, Inc.
• Cera Products, Inc.
• Chattem, Inc.
• Covidien
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
• Drip Drop, Inc.
• Eli Lilly & Company
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Healthpoint, Ltd.
• Henry Schein, Inc.
• HoMedics
• Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies
• LifeScan, Inc.
• Mason Vitamins, Inc.
• Merck & Co., Inc.
• Nationwide Medical/ Surgical, Inc.
• Omron Healthcare, Inc.
• Orthofix
• P&G
• Pepperdine University
• Pharma Medica
• Prometheus Laboratories
• Purdue Pharma, L.P.
• Rye Pharmaceuticals LLC
• sanofi-aventis U.S.
• sanofi pasteur
• Sappo Hill Soapworks
• Teva Pharmaceuticals
• Trigen Laboratories

Direct Relief sent a shipment containing four pallets of AguaBlox drinking water, donated by Pepperdine University, to Marnie Simons Elementary School in Hamburg, IA. This donation was facilitated through Direct Relief’s collaboration with Nourish America, a nonprofit organization committed to providing vitamin supplements and nutrient rich foods to low income families across the U.S. Extensive flooding is anticipated in Hamburg, IA as the Missouri river continues to rise. Flooding can pollute water sources, which increases the need for safe drinking water.

Sanofi Pasteur has committed 5,000 doses of tetanus and 500 doses of Tdap vaccine for Direct Relief’s tornado and flooding relief efforts. The donation was made in Jeff Gordon’s name. Gordon, four-time winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, created the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation to support children battling cancer and provide specialty care to children with critical health needs. The foundation is sending donations of diapers, hygiene supplies, and clothing to children affected by the Alabama tornado. Direct Relief’s team is in communication with clinic partners and is prepared to arrange shipments directly from the manufacturing sites to the clinics as requests for additional tetanus come in.

Direct Relief staff will continue to send product offers to clinic partners in need as additional donations arrive at Direct Relief’s warehouse. In the wake of a disaster, clean up efforts ensue. The need for personal care items, sunscreen, tetanus, and chronic medications is expected to continue in the post disaster recovery phase.

Aid Offered to Clinics in Massachusetts; Additional Aid Delivering for Patients in Midwest and Southern U.S.

June 1, 2011

Direct Relief reached out to partners in Massachusetts and Connecticut to offer medical aid following tornadoes that struck there today. According to news reports, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency due to the widespread damage the tornado caused. One person died in the events.

Direct Relief continues to provide needed aid to people across the Midwest and South affected by tornadoes and other severe weather, Direct Relief is delivering additional consignments this week. Several partner clinics and health centers have requested tetanus vaccine for their patients as well as emergency responders handling the clean up.

This week, 220 doses of the tetanus vaccine and 200 doses of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine, from donor company Sanofi Pasteur will be drop-shipped to these partner health facilities:

• SEMO Health Network in Madrid, MO  
• Access Family Care in Joplin, MO
• Community Health and Emergency Services in Cairo, IL
• Heart to Heart in Joplin, MO
• Whatley Health Services in Tuscaloosa, AL

With water systems disrupted during the storms, clean drinking water is an issue for some communities. Direct Relief is providing drinking water to Etowah Free Community Clinic in Gadsden, AL.

Direct Relief has delivered needed medical aid to clinics and health centers treating people affected by devastating storms and tornadoes, including those who have been injured or lost their homes. To date, Direct Relief has provided more than $1 million in wholesale value of products for the tornado and severe storm response.

Direct Relief’s team has been in frequent contact with local, regional, and national-level responders to make sure aid reaches people who need it most during this challenging time. The organization will continue to support relief and recovery efforts as long as the need persists.

Tetanus Vaccine, Urgently Needed Aid Delivering for Tornado Relief

May 27, 2011

To assist people across the Midwest and South who have lost their homes and been injured in recent tornadoes and severe weather, the Direct Relief USA team continues to expedite emergency shipments of medical aid to partner clinics across the region.

Today, 1,000 doses of tetanus vaccine will be delivered tomorrow to Access Family Care, a partner health center in Missouri, working through the local emergency operations center to provide tetanus vaccines to Joplin residents. According to news reports, the tornado that struck the Missouri town earlier this week destroyed 8,000 structures and killed more than 150 people with winds of up to 200 miles per hour along a four-mile-long path. The number of missing in Joplin is now at 156 as search-and-rescue operations continue. Direct Relief has also provided a $25,000 grant to Access Family Care to support its emergency operations in Joplin.

Six other partner facilities assisting people affected by widespread flooding and storm damage are receiving consignments tomorrow of urgently needed material, including medications to treat chronic conditions, medical supplies, and personal care items:

• American Diabetes Association in Joplin, Missouri
• American Diabetes Association in Jackson, Mississippi
• American Diabetes Association in Birmingham, Alabama
• Etowah Free Community Clinic in Gadsden, Alabama
• SEMO Health Network in New Madrid, Missouri
• Corning Area Health Center - Pocahontas Family Medical Center in Pocahontas, Arkansas

With donations from Merck & Co. and Sanofi Pasteur, Direct Relief has been able to fulfill urgent requests for the tetanus vaccine for more than 2,000 people. The vaccines are being drop-shipped directly from donor-company facilities to expedite delivery.

Shonna Allen of Pocahontas Family Medical Center called to thank Direct Relief for the donated tetanus vaccines the clinic received this week. The vaccine was used for clinic patients and for local electrical workers who were past-due on their vaccine and had to wade through several feet of stagnant, unsanitary flood water to repair downed power lines. She added that the personal care packs distributed to people at shelters and hotels moved some recipients to tears, which “gave her goose bumps.”

Direct Relief is committed to helping people across the South and Midwest who have been affected by tornadoes and storms. The organization has allocated $200,000 for the response and continues to source material from its standing inventory of more than $56 million (wholesale) and from donor companies.

Direct Relief Delivering Emergency Aid to Tornado-Affected Areas

May 25, 2011

Direct Relief USA is delivering urgently needed emergency aid for people affected by devastating tornadoes in Missouri, including two consignments departing today. Based on requests from clinic partners in the area who are treating an influx of patients as well as the displaced who have lost their homes, Direct Relief sent an emergency shipment yesterday to meet initial estimates and requests for products. The shipment totaled 67 cartons containing antibiotics, wound-care supplies, chronic disease medications, medical supplies, and personal care products. The shipments departing today include additional medicines, hygiene products, basic care items, and saline solution.

Direct Relief staff has been in frequent contact with clinic partners on the ground responding to the needs of the affected, and every hour brings new information in this unfolding response. While the exact number of people impacted is still being determined, Access Family Care, a partner health center in Joplin, estimates that between 12,000 and 15,000 people need assistance. News reports today put the total number of damaged structures at more than 8,000 and the number of people killed at 122. More than 1,500 people reportedly remain missing.

In addition to treating patients, Access Family Care staff has been allowed access to the hardest-hit areas in Joplin and will distribute personal care packs door-to-door to families and to shelters. Access Family Care participated in a statewide emergency drill last week, along with the Missouri Primary Care Association (MOPCA), giving them further training and insight into response and relief efforts.

Though no one was hurt, four Access Family Care staff members lost their homes in the tornadoes. One of its facilities, which housed its computer servers, was destroyed, hindering email communications.

Direct Relief continues to respond to requests as they come in from clinics, state associations, and national-level responders. Janice Pirner of MOPCA reports a need for personal care items and the tetanus vaccine. Direct Relief is working to source needed materials from donor companies if not available in current inventory.

To help the people of Missouri who have been affected by the tornadoes the Direct Relief USA team has extended offers of aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), the Missouri Primary Care Association, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Joplin, and to individual partner clinics in the region.

Direct Relief USA Responding to Tornado Crisis in Missouri

May 23, 2011

In response to the deadly tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, yesterday, Direct Relief USA is working with local, state, and national-level responders to rush medical aid to the area. The team has received a request for aid from Access Family Care in Joplin. SEMO Health Network in Sikeston, MO, is sending a team to Joplin to help provide emergency care for people injured in the tornado.

According to Direct Relief partners and recent news reports, close to 100 people were killed in the tornado and that number is expected to rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue today. The hospital and several nursing homes in Joplin were hit by the tornado, which will add pressure to the remaining healthcare providers, including Direct Relief’s partner clinics and health centers. Direct Relief partners are currently assessing the situation and gathering needs – many are reporting they are inundated with patients.

The tornado and storm’s damage is widely felt. One of Access Family Care’s facilities, housing its computer servers, was destroyed in the violent storm, requiring its CEO to correspond with Direct Relief program staff via a personal email account. SEMO has continued to assist families displaced by flooding and other severe weather in Missouri since late last month.

Tetanus vaccines donated by Merck and drop-shipped from the company to clinic facilities in the South were delivered last week and stand ready to help in this emergency. Additional offers of aid have been extended through the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), the Missouri Primary Care Association, and to individual partner clinics in the region.

Direct Relief has delivered needed medical aid to facilities across the South since this string of damaging storms began in April and will continue to support care for people in need who have lost their homes and been injured in these events.

Multiple Drop Shipments Expedite Aid for People in the South

May 11, 2011

Deliveries of needed aid continue to partners in the South assisting people who have lost their homes and have been affected by tornadoes and severe weather. Several donor companies have stepped up to help expedite aid for the South, including Cera Products and HoMedics, which are providing needed products directly from their facilities near the affected region.

These drop shipments, transported by donor companies and FedEx, include basic items like oral rehydration products and blood pressure monitors. With temperatures hitting the high 80s and low 90s across the South, hydration is important for vulnerable people living in shelters.

• Etowah Free Community Clinic in Gadsden, AL, is receiving a drop shipment of CeraSport and Drip-Drop oral rehydration sachets.
• American Diabetes Association in Birmingham, AL, and Corning Area Health Center in Corning, AR, are receiving drop shipments of blood pressure monitors to support care for patients displaced by the tornadoes and storms.
• Two facilities in Alabama, Whatley Health Services, Inc. in Tuscaloosa and City Action Partnership in Birmingham, are receiving drop shipments of CeraSport to help individuals involved in cleanup efforts as well as people living in shelters maintain good hydration.

Direct Relief is also sending personal care items to the Dade County Sheriff’s Department in Trenton, GA, for people living in shelters there.

Weather reports show severe thunderstorms anticipated this week across the South, and flooding that has heavily affected Tennessee and Mississippi to increase over the next days in Louisiana. Direct Relief’s USA program staff continues to reach out to partners on the national, state, and local level to offer assistance and is responding to requests as they come in.

Two Consignments Depart for South to Support Storm Relief

May 6, 2011

Direct Relief continues to fill requests from partner clinics and facilities caring for people affected by severe storms and tornadoes across the southeastern U.S. Shipments were issued today to support relief efforts of two facilities:

• Semo Health Network in New Madrid, MO, which requested maintenance medications for 100 evacuated families who are living in hotels. Its director of nursing is making rounds among the families to ensure that they get the medicines and supplies they need. The shipment today included bandages, wound dressings, personal hygiene items, diabetic supplies, prescription medications, and over-the-counter products.
• Community Health and Emergency Services in Cairo, IL, is responding to widespread flooding in Illinois - specifically the evacuation of Cairo. It is supporting several large and small shelters in the area, serving approximately 1,800 people in nine counties. The consignment today included syringes, wound dressings, prescription medications, personal care items, over-the-counter products, and diabetic supplies.

As the situation unfolds, partners are increasingly able to communicate specific needs for their patients and requests for aid continue as flooding is anticipated next week. Current estimates indicate that partner clinics are serving thousands of patients with diabetes across the affected areas. Direct Relief is working with the American Diabetes Association in Alabama, which is caring for more than 1,000 diabetic patients in Alabama alone. Antifungal creams are anticipated to be in high need during anticipated flooding in the next week, especially for patients with diabetes.

Medications to treat diabetes and other chronic conditions are at the top of facilities’ needs lists, as many patients cannot afford to buy their prescriptions and only grabbed what they could when they evacuated. Many are not working now due to the devastation in their towns and were living from paycheck to paycheck prior to the disasters.

Direct Relief’s network of partners is reaching out to help across the South. Coastal Family Health Center in Biloxi, MS, is sending its two mobile medical units to areas hard hit by the recent severe weather. One medical unit has been stationed in Smithville, AL, a town decimated by tornadoes, and the other, an obstetrics-oriented mobile clinic, is operating in Tuscaloosa, AL. A longtime Direct Relief partner – since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – Coastal Family is experienced in emergency response and is generously sharing its resources to assist in relief efforts.

Direct Relief again thanks the donor companies making their products available to the communities throughout the South: Abbott; AstraZeneca; BD; Cera Products, Inc.; Covidien; GlaxoSmithKline; Johnson & Johnson; Merck & Co., Inc.; sanofi-aventis; and FedEx, which is covering all shipping costs for the response.

Emergency Shipments Arriving Today Support Care for People in the South

May 5, 2011 

Three emergency shipments are delivering to partners in Alabama and Arkansas today to help support care for people affected by recent storms and tornadoes. The consignments include emergency medicines, personal care products, and hand sanitizer to assist people living in shelters and to equip mobile medical clinics.

• Whatley Health Services, Inc in Tuscaloosa, AL, is receiving a shipment today for its mobile medical unit, which is providing care to displaced people throughout the greater Tuscaloosa area. The shipment contained various supplies including bandages, gauze, and hand sanitizer. An additional shipment of Lantus, Apidra, and the TDap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine will be sent later this week.
• City Action Partnership in Birmingham, AL, is receiving hand sanitizers for 500 personal care packs that are being assembled by volunteers in Birmingham. The packs will be distributed to people in local shelters throughout the community. Additional personal care items for the packs will be sent as products arrive at Direct Relief headquarters.
• Corning Area Health Center/Pocahontas Family Medical Center in Pocahontas, AR, is receiving a shipment today containing NyQuil, eye drops, sun block, Prilosec, and hand sanitizer for patients at its facility and the local shelter. Direct Relief is coordinating donation of blood pressure monitors that will arrive later this week.

Direct Relief also coordinating private-sector assistance with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s office of Emergency Preparedness & Continuity of Operations, which is equipping a health center with a mobile clinic in Smithville whose facility was destroyed.

Direct Relief today also offered emergency assistance to more than 200 clinic and health center partners in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, describing resources offered by Direct Relief’s donor companies. Multiple clinics responded with updates on their respective rellief efforts and identified additional products for their patients.

The National Weather Service reported yesterday that more than 175 tornadoes touched down from the severe weather last week, making it the largest recorded tornado outbreak in U.S. history. Currently more than 327 deaths are confirmed and tens of thousands of people remain without power.

“Our partners continue to work tirelessly in support of their communities, said Damon Taugher, director of Direct Relief USA, “from more patients at their clinics and health centers to people being cared for at shelters. Direct Relief is committed to helping them receive the products they need.”

Direct Relief thanks the donor companies making their products available to the communities throughout the South: Abbott; AstraZeneca; BD; Cera Products, Inc.; Covidien; GlaxoSmithKline; Johnson & Johnson; Merck & Co., Inc.; sanofi-aventis; and FedEx, which is covering all shipping costs for the response.

Requested Emergency Aid Delivering to U.S. Clinics, Shelters

May 3, 2011

Direct Relief USA continues to assist people across the southeastern U.S. who have lost their homes or been injured in tornadoes and other severe weather. It is fulfilling emergency aid requests for clinics and shelters throughout the South, based on requests identified from the standing inventory of $36 million, which has been made available to the partner network.

In mobilizing private resources for the response, Direct Relief has joined with an array of nonprofit and public agencies to coordinate assistance, as well as with dozens of healthcare companies that have offered support and released previously donated product for use in the current emergency. Direct Relief is the only nonprofit licensed to distribute medicine in all 50 states

As Direct Relief’s partners across the southeast conduct damage assessments, they are identifying needs to help their patient populations. To date, Direct Relief is working with the following groups:

• Etowah Free Community Clinic, Gadsden, AL - Direct Relief shipped a donation of 103 cartons via FedEx priority overnight through its donated in-kind shipping subsidy. The shipments contained personal care items, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, bandages, and first aid supplies, all due to arrive tomorrow. The clinic is supporting an estimated 3,000 people displaced by flooding and who are seeking refuge in local churches.Their need is high for personal care and first aid items.  
• American Diabetes Association, Birmingham, AL - Direct Relief’s emergency shipment delivered today to the ADA’s headquarters contained lancets, insulin needles and syringes, sharps containers, hand sanitizer, test strips, and alcohol swabs. The materials will support care for people with diabetes through six organizations the ADA is supporting throughout the area.  
• Whatley Health Services, Inc, Tuscaloosa, AL - Whatley is reviewing Direct Relief’s offer of assistance for the mobile medical unit, which is providing care to displaced populations throughout the greater Tuscaloosa area.  
• Good Samaritan Health Clinic, Cullman, AL - Though the clinic’s facility was unharmed, the surrounding areas suffered extensive damage. Reports from the clinic’s patients show that transportation remains challenging. Good Samaritan is coordinating relief efforts with the local sheriff’s department and is the primary facility for people seeking medical care.  
• Corning Area Health Center, Pocahontas Family Medical Center in Pocahontas, AR -An emergency request was received and matched to standing inventory a shipment is scheduled this week. Corning Area is supporting patients at a local shelter which is now home to many of their patients.  
• Dade County Sheriff’s Office, Trenton, GA -Direct Relief today sent a shipment of 13 cartons containing personal care products, sunblock, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and over-the-counter products, all due to arrive tomorrow. The county is supporting 125 families displaced by severe storms.  
• Semo Health Network, Sikeston, MO -Late last week, Semo requested support for 100 families displaced by flooding. The clinic helped to house families in local hotels; many of the families evacuated with only had the clothes on their backs. Semo’s director of nursing has been conducting needs assessments at the hotels, and initial reports indicate that chronic medications top the list of needed support.        

Offers of support have been extended to the following federal and state agencies:

• FEMA, Office of External Affairs, Private Sector Division
• Health Resources and Services Administration, Emergency Preparedness & Continuity of Operations
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency
• Primary Health Care Associations in Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, and Georgia
• Community Health Centers of Arkansas

Direct Relief has previously responded to several large-scale emergencies in the U.S., including Hurricanes Katrina and wildfires in Southern California. The organization has provided more than $225 million in medical material aid in the U.S. for low-income patients since 2004.

Direct Relief Delivering Aid for People Living in Shelters Following Tornadoes, Flooding

May 2, 2011

Working with its network of partners throughout the southern U.S., Direct Relief is dispatching emergency shipments of requested aid for people affected by the recent tornadoes and other severe weather.

Partners receiving medical aid for people in need are:

• Whatley Health Services in Tuscaloosa, AL – Today Whatley Health, a partner Direct Relief has worked with since the days following Hurricane Katrina, reported that clinic staff is working with rescue responders on local, state, and federal levels. It has a robust emergency response plan, since its clinics are along the hurricane evacuation route. Whatley’s network consists of 13 sites spread across three counties, all of which were affected by tornados in the past week. The homeless center Whatley works with was completely destroyed. Direct Relief is delivering medications for patients with chronic conditions who are now living in medical shelters through Whatley’s mobile medical outreach activities.
• Etowah Free Clinic, Gadsden, AL - This longtime partner clinic is working with patients affected by flooding.  With several thousand people living in shelters, Direct Relief is preparing shipments of personal care products and other items to support this vulnerable population.
• Semo Health Network, Sikeston, MO – Due to flooding, the Semo Health Network is housing 100 evacuated families in nearby hotels. It has requested maintenance medications for evacuees who have chronic health conditions. Consistent care and access to needed medicines are important for people with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, which are seen in relatively high incidence among Direct Relief’s partner clinic patient populations.
• American Diabetes Association of Alabama, Birmingham, AL – Direct Relief is delivering diabetes care products for patients in need through partnerships with local clinics, social service groups, and churches across the state.

The organization has coordinated the response at through state primary care associations, and with national-level responders, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Department of Health and Human Services.

Direct Relief USA is the only nonprofit medical aid organization licensed to distribute pharmaceuticals in all 50 states, and is a Verified Accredited Wholesale Pharmacy through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which sets stringent guidelines for handling pharmaceuticals.

Direct Relief is supported by many pharmaceutical and medical supply companies which help make our response efforts possible. Several corporate representatives worked through the weekend to ensure we have the products requested for the response. Abbott, BD, Merck & Co., Inc., and sanofi-aventis have all responded generously to the growing need for chronic medications and supplies for patients with asthma and diabetes.

Direct Relief Delivers Medical Aid to Affected Areas

$36 Million in Medical Inventory Made Available; Healthcare Companies and FedEx Step in to Help

April 29, 2011

To help people across the southeastern U.S. who have lost their homes or been injured in tornadoes and other severe weather, Direct Relief USA is delivering specifically requested medical aid to clinics and shelters throughout the south.

Direct Relief is the only nonprofit organization licensed to distribute prescription medications in all 50 states and maintains an ongoing support program with more than 1,000 nonprofit clinics and health centers across the country, including 168 facilities in the six states affected by recent tornados.

In the past week, Direct Relief USA completed a distribution of medical aid this month through its nationwide Safety Net Support program, delivering more than $756,000 in medical material to 39 health facilities in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

In addition, emergency shipments have been provided to facilities in North Carolina and Arkansas following tornados that struck in the past two weeks.

In response to the devastating tornadoes this week, Direct Relief has activated its entire network to prioritize emergency assistance to the affected southern states.

The organization has made its current inventory of $36 million in medicines and medical supplies available for the response. Text message alerts have been sent to community clinics and health centers notifying them of available resources.

In mobilizing private resources for the response, Direct Relief has joined with a vast array of nonprofit and public agencies to coordinate assistance, as well as with dozens of healthcare companies that have offered assistance and released previously made product donations to assist in the southern states.

Damon Taugher, Director of Direct Relief USA, says: “Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by this awful tragedy. Direct Relief has worked closely with partners in these communities over the past six years and will continue to provide medical resources to assist in recovery efforts.”

As needs assessments and relief operations have begun, Direct Relief is coordinating efforts with several national contacts, which include the National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Free Clinics, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through the Private Sector ESF-15 National Response Coordination Center, and Rx Response.

In the affected states, Direct Relief is coordinating its efforts with the Georgia Primary Care Association, Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Mississippi Primary Healthcare Association, and Alabama Primary Care Association.

Many clinic partners across the southeast are conducting damage assessments and identifying needs. One organization has made a specific emergency request for assistance, which Direct Relief will fulfill with transportation services donated by FedEx:

• Semo Health Network, Sikeston, MO – Due to flooding, the Semo Health Network is housing 100 evacuated families in nearby hotels, and specifically requested maintenance medications for evacuees. Continuity of care and the availability of needed medicines are important for people with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, which are seen in relatively high incidence among partner clinic patient populations.

Another clinic partner has made a request to assist with families whose homes have been destroyed:

• Conway Interfaith Clinic, Conway, AR – An estimated 50 to 60 displaced people are staying in shelters after a tornado swept through the town earlier this week, damaging about 500 homes. Personal care and hygiene items ($14,382 wholesale value) are en route to the clinic today to help the people living in the shelter.

These states have been hit by the recent spate of storms, in which more than 300 people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed, according to news reports.

Direct Relief’s emergency relief efforts and ongoing assistance to partner clinics in the U.S. facilitate a fast, efficient response when a disaster strikes. The organization’s Hurricane Preparedness Program equips clinic sites across the Gulf States each year with medical material aid that is pre-positioned before hurricane season starts. Direct Relief’s response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been one of the organization’s largest, rivaled only by the Haiti earthquake response in 2010.

Direct Relief Sending Aid for People Affected by Severe Weather, Tornadoes

Arkansas clinic partners identify needs for people in shelters; others assessing damage

April 28, 2011

To help people across the southeastern U.S. who have lost their homes and been injured in tornadoes and other severe weather, Direct Relief USA is delivering needed items at the request from its network of partner clinics and health facilities.

Following offers yesterday of assistance, clinic sites in Conway, Arkansas, have identified needs for their patients and people living in temporary shelter, displaced by a tornado that swept through the region yesterday five miles south of the clinic facility. Partners have reported that that some 500 houses were destroyed in the town of 3,500 people, with 60 completely destroyed and another 50 to 60 declared a total loss. Relief efforts are being coordinated through the city and a shelter and distribution site has been established at the junior high school, where 50 people have taken refuge.

Direct Relief staff is reviewing current inventory to match needs as well as reaching out to donors to source needed materials.

Severe weather in the southeastern U.S. has killed 173 people and left hundreds homeless, destroying whole towns in Alabama. Representatives from the Alabama Primary Care Association report that updates are still coming in from their clinic sites across the state, though facilities in Sipsey and Oakman are inaccessible due to road closures. Also, one clinic has lost some vaccines in the power outage caused by the tornado. Laura Katz Parenteau from City Action Partnership (CAP) in Birmingham, Alabama, reported today that 31 counties have been affected and 1.5 million people in the state are without power. CAP helps coordinate relief efforts following disasters, and has been a Direct Relief partner since the Hurricane Katrina response.

Direct Relief staff is working with partners across the southeast to supply them with the medical aid they need for their patients and people affected by this spate of tornadoes, heavy rain, and flooding.

Direct Relief Offers Assistance to Partners Across the Southeastern U.S.

Severe weather causes widespread damage

April 27, 2011

To assist people affected by severe storms, Direct Relief USA has been in contact with National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC), the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), and State Primary Care Associations across several southern states to offer medical material aid to partner clinics from the organization’s standing inventory.

Mollie Melbourne, emergency response director at NACHC, reported today that Corning Area Healthcare in Corning, AR, was evacuated on very short notice, with a second health center expected to evacuate and another isolated following a levee breach and bridge washout. While flooding has not been confirmed as of this afternoon, rain is reportedly falling at about eight inches an hour.

Corning Area Healthcare’s three locations are the only healthcare facilities in the area, as the nearest hospital 60 miles away. These sites serve a large elderly population, especially vulnerable to disasters. They also focus on providing diabetes and hypertension support services for their patients. Direct Relief USA programs staff is working with partners to identify the most needed and helpful products to provide to support their patient care.

While identifying appropriate materials for the clinics in need in Arkansas, Direct Relief has also reached out to healthcare facility partners across other southern states hit hard by severe weather, including heavy rain and tornadoes. Assistance has been offered to partners in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, and Georgia this week.

The storm system wreaking havoc across the southeastern U.S. has killed 22 people across several states this week alone, according to news reports. High winds, tornadoes, and heavy rain have downed trees, destroyed homes and bridges, and caused flooding from Texas to Alabama; the storm system is expected to reach the Carolinas by Friday.

Direct Relief continues to monitor the situation and will provide medical aid to support care for people affected by this far-reaching storm system.

Direct Relief USA Delivering Emergency Medical Aid to North Carolina

FedEx Priority Overnight shipment to support people injured in and displaced by tornadoes

April 20, 2011
Filling an urgent request for medical aid today, Direct Relief USA is sending via FedEx priority overnight 45 cartons of emergency medical supplies for Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in North Carolina, a health facility about a mile away from a deadly tornado touched down last Saturday. The materials Roanoke Chowan is receiving will support its patient care for people living in the county’s temporary shelter and for residents in rural areas who have remained in their homes or are returning to them.

With a reported 24 people killed and hundreds injured in the rash of tornadoes that struck this weekend across North Carolina, basic wound-care supplies are in high demand. The bulk of Direct Relief’s consignment includes such items as bandages, gauze, disinfectants, and analgesics, all requested by the health center. Personal care items are also included in the shipment, and will benefit people who have had to leave their destroyed homes.

Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center is coordinating its efforts with local emergency response agencies including the Public Health Department, which has established its emergency operations center near the health center.

The tornadoes, which caused damage from Oklahoma to Virginia, have killed 46 people across the country and injured hundreds more, according to news reports. More than 800 homes were destroyed in North Carolina alone.

Direct Relief continues to monitor the situation and has offered aid to clinics across the states affected by the spate of tornadoes last weekend. The team stands ready to assist as partners request aid for their patients, and is also responding to needs in Texas following widespread wildfires there.

Direct Relief USA Offers Assistance to Clinics Treating People Injured and Displaced by Widespread Tornadoes

April 18, 2011

To assist people injured in and affected by tornadoes that caused widespread damage from Oklahoma to Virginia this weekend, Direct Relief USA has reached out to partners to offer emergency medical assistance. According to news reports, 43 people have been killed by the tornadoes, which started April 14 in Oklahoma and reached North Carolina on Saturday, causing millions of dollars in damage and injuring hundreds of people.

To assist the vulnerable people displaced and injured in the tornadoes, Direct Relief is prioritizing shipments of medical aid to clinic partners in the affected states, especially North Carolina, which has been hit hard by the tornadoes. Clinics in these areas who requested materials during Direct Relief USA's latest nationwide distribution program will receive shipments in the coming days to support their efforts to care for people affected by the tornadoes.

Direct Relief has extensive experience responding to emergencies in the U.S., including Hurricanes Ike, Gustav, and Katrina. Providing ongoing support to safety-net clinics in 50 states across the country, Direct Relief can quickly activate emergency aid so that low-income, uninsured patients get the medicines and medical supplies they need but couldn't otherwise afford. Medical support for these facilities enables them to continue providing patient care during emergencies when resources are needed immediately and used quickly.

Direct Relief's emergency response and preparedness program in the U.S. includes pre-positioning Hurricane Preparedness Packs at clinics sites in the U.S. and equipping Medical Reserve volunteers with "grab-and-go" packs so these medical professionals have the tools they need to provide patient care wherever they are needed.

As the situation develops in North Carolina, Direct Relief will stay in close touch with emergency responders and individual facilities to deliver the materials they need to care for the influx of patients affected by the recent tornadoes.