In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Direct Relief is paying extra-close attention to a key factor in disaster response—access to pharmacy services, both nonprofit and commercial. For people needing to access basic health and medical services under conditions such as the infrastructural shocks now being felt in New York City, supply chains, transport, and service availability are paramount concerns. Lower Manhattan—among
Read more →
While Direct Relief USA reaches out to clinics on the East Coast, we continue to assess and respond to needs in Haiti where more than 50 people have been reported dead and another 200,000 people were affected by damage to their homes caused by Hurricane Sandy. Because the rains and mudslides destroyed roads and bridges, many people have been cut
Read more →
As Hurricane Sandy slams the East Coast with winds reaching speeds of 75-85 mph, Direct Relief is ready to respond to urgent requests from partner clinics and health centers for needed medicines and supplies to treat those affected by the storm. Working with analytical and data visualization tools from technology partner, Palantir, Direct Relief is able to to pinpoint clinic partners located in
Read more →
As Hurricane Sandy heads north, threatening portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, Direct Relief has sent notifications and offers of assistance to approximately 300 clinical partners in 17 states and D.C. along its projected path. So far, Direct Relief has not received any responses or requests from these partners. Direct Relief’s emergency response team is actively monitoring the situation. Three
Read more →
Direct Relief and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) have worked closely together since the days following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. NACHC has been instrumental in helping Direct Relief connect with health centers throughout the country—both on an ongoing basis, and during emergencies. I asked Mollie Melbourne, the Director of Emergency Management at NACHC, about Direct Relief’s health
Read more →Following the severe storms in 2011 that devastated communities throughout the Midwest, Direct Relief contributed $50,000 to Katy Trail Community Health Center in Sedalia, Mo. for the purchase and installation of a generator. The generator enables the facility to remain open during power outages so they can serve their community and provide backup support for their local hospital and health department
Read more →
