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Operational Update: Alisal Fire Response, Covid-19 Vaccine Support Continue
N95 masks and medical support provided to firefighters, public agencies, schools and the public in response to wildfire that has expanded to thousands of acres in Santa Barbara County.
Aerial photos of the Alisal Fire burning north of Santa Barbara on Oct. 13, 2021. The fire prompted evacuations this week and caused air quality impacts in the region. Direct Relief assisted firefighters and other agencies responding to the wildfire, as well as with public distribution of masks and other medical aid. (Photo courtesy of Los Padres National Forest)
Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 488 shipments of requested medical aid to 44 U.S. states and territories and 12 countries worldwide.
The shipments contained 1.8 million defined daily doses of medication, including specialty oncology drugs, diabetes management therapies including insulin, rare disease therapies, antibiotics, nutritional products, and ongoing Covid-19 support such as oxygen concentrators, and personal protective equipment, including gowns, gloves, masks and face shields.
This week also included response to the Alisal Fire, which broke out on Oct. 11 in Santa Barbara County about 40 miles north of Direct Relief’s warehouse headquarters, and the organization has been working to support the local community with requests. Covid-19 vaccine support and pandemic response also continued locally and around the world.
Wildfire Response
N95 masks are handed out to the public, free-of-charge on Oct. 14, 2021, in response to air quality impacts from the Alisal Fire burning north of Santa Barbara. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)
Smoky air impacted the region this week, with some locations registering unhealthy levels of particulates in the air. In response, thousands of masks were distributed to firefighters responding to the Alisal Fires, including delivery of N95 masks and eye drops to Santa Barbara County Fire Departments’ incident command, as well as to firefighters working on Thursday to Earl Warren Showgrounds, where emergency personnel staged firefighting operations. Masks and eye drops were also delivered to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health, and Santa Barbara County Animal Services, which had requested supplies for ranchers returning to care for animals.
N95 masks were also delivered to local libraries in Montecito, downtown Santa Barbara, Eastside and Carpinteria branches for distribution to the public. Alpha Resource Center, a nonprofit that serves adults with developmental disabilities, also received N95 masks from Direct Relief for their clients. This week the organization also offered up its inventory of N95 masks to the public, andmore than 43,000 N95 masks were distributed between UCSB Student Health,Goleta Union and Santa Barbara Unified School Districts.In total, more than 80,000 N95 masks were delivered this week.
Direct Relief staff deliver more than 30,000 N95 masks to UCSB Student Health Services on Oct. 15, 2021, in response to the Alisal Fire. (Amarica Rafanelli/Direct Relief)
A SimpliPhi backup power unit was delivered to the Isla Vista Neighborhood Clinic for use in case of a power outage. The unit can power refrigeration for several days, ensuring temperature control for sensitive therapies, including vaccines and insulin, at risk of spoilage if power is interrupted. The response will continue as fire crews work to bring the blaze under control.
Cold Chain Support
Direct Relief also stored Covid-19 vaccines for a local health facility this week. Pfizer vaccines for American Indian Health and Services in Santa Barbara were stored in the organization’s ultracold freezers, part of Direct Relief’s cold chain capacity meant to support temperature-sensitive therapies.
Covid-19 vaccines for American Indian Health and Services in Santa Barbara are stored at Direct Relief’s warehouse inside of ultracold storage on Oct. 14, 2021. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)gCovid-19 vaccines for American Indian Health and Services in Santa Barbara are stored at Direct Relief’s warehouse inside of ultracold storage on Oct. 14, 2021. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)g
In addition to vaccine storage and fire support, Direct Relief also continues to host a Covid-19 testing bus at its facility where members of the public can sign up and receive a free Covid-19 test.
A Covid-19 testing site operates in Direct Relief’s parking lot on Oct. 14, 2021. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)
In the U.S., Direct Relief delivered 473 shipments weighing 10,910 lbs and containing 1.1M doses of medications over the past week.
Recipients included:
Welvista – South Carolina
NC MedAssist – North Carolina
CommunityHealth – Illinois
Santa Clara County Warehouse – California
University Health – Truman Medical Center – Missouri
Fairview Community Health Center – Kentucky
UNC Health Care – North Carolina
University Health – Lakewood Medical Center – Missouri
Good News Care Center – Florida
EXCELth Primary Health Care – Louisiana
Globally, Direct Relief this week shipped more than734,415 defined daily doses of medication totaling 71,211lbs.
Countries receiving medical aid over the past week included:
Armenia
Malawi
Ethiopia
Armenia
Honduras
Peru
Zimbabwe
Palestinian Territories
Ukraine
Honduras
El Salvador
India
Since January 1, 2021, Direct Relief has delivered 18.7K shipments to 2,274 partner organizations in 55 U.S. states and territories and 95 countries. These shipments contained 193.4M defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.7B (wholesale) and totaled 7.6M lbs.
Direct Relief has also supported the following organizations this year with $56.5 million in grant funding:
Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center Advance Community Health, Inc. AHA Centre Albany Area Primary Health Care Alemtsehay Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. Alliance for Medical Outreach & Relief AltaMed Health Services Corporation AltaPointe Health Systems, Inc. Amistad Community Health Center Ammonoosuc Community Health Services Ampla Health Del Norte Clinics, Inc. Amref Health Africa Amrita Inst Med Sci / Mata Amritanandamayi Anera HQ Angel Wings International Anson Regional Medical Services, Inc. Anthony L. Jordan Health Corporation Arcoiris Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers Arroyo Vista Family Health Center Asian American Health Coalition dba HOPE Clinic Asociación de Salud Comunitaria de las Islas de la Bahía Asociación de Salud Primaria de PR Asociación Mexicana de Diabetes en la Ciudad de México Asociación Puertorriqueña de Diabetes, Inc. Asociación Vida Perú Association des Diabétiques du Congo (ADIC) Association Malgache contre le Diabète A.MA.DIA Atlantic Medical Center Sabana Hoyos Australian Childhood Foundation B.P. Eye Foundation, Hospital for Children Eye ENT and Rehabilitation Services (CHEERS) Banyan Community Health Center, Inc. Barrio Comprehensive Family Health Care Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) Baylor College of Medicine – Children’s Foundation Malawi Bayou Clinic Bond Community Health Center Borinquen Health Care Center, Inc. Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation Brockton Neighborhood Health Center Bronx Community Health Network, Inc. Broward Community & Family Health Center Brownsville Multi-Service Butte County Public Health Department Cactus Health Services, Inc. Camuy Health Services, Inc. Care Resource CareMessage Caring Health Center CCBRT Disability Hospital CCI – Silver Spring Central Florida Family Health Center – True Health Centro de Salud Familiar Dr. Julio Palmieri Ferri, Inc. Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Inc. Centro de Servicios Primarios de Salud de Patillas, Inc. Centro de Servicios Primarios de Salud, Inc. Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel de Allende, A.C. Centros Integrados de Servicios de Salud Chapman University Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc. Charles River Community Health Charter Oak Health Center Cherokee Health Systems Knoxville Children in Trouble Clean Energy Group, Inc. Clinicas Del Camino Real, Inc. Coal Country Community Health Center Codman Square Health Center Colorado Coalition For The Homeless Columbia Valley Community Health Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County Community Health Assn. of Spokane CHAS Administration Office Community Health Care Community Health Care Association of New York State Community Health Care, Inc. dba CompleteCare Health Network Community Health Care, Inc. Edgerton Women’s Health Center Community Health Center Association of Mississippi Community Health Center of Buffalo Community Health Center of Richmond Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Community Health Centers Community Health Centers of Pinellas, Inc. Community Health Centers of The Central Coast Community Health Clinics dba Terry Reilly Health Services Community Health Foundation of Puerto Rico Community Health of South Florida Community Health Systems Community Healthcare Network Community Partners International Community-University Health Care Center University of Minnesota CommWell Health Administration Office Concilio de Salud Integral de Loiza, Inc. Conference of National Black Churches CORE Response Cornerstone Care, Inc. Corporación de Servicios Médicos Primarios y Prevención de Hatillo, Inc. Corporacion SANOS COSSMA, Inc. Costa Salud Community Health Centers Rincón County of Mono Country Doctor Community Health Centers Country Doctor Community Clinic COVID-19 Africa Action Network for Nurses & Midwives (AAN) Cowlitz Family Health Center Crescent Community Health Center Cumberland Family Medical Center, Inc. Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital Delta Health Center Denver Health and Hospital Authority Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital Dimock Community Health Center Diversity Health Center, Inc. Dot House Health East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Corporation East Georgia Healthcare, Inc. Edna Adan University Hospital Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center El Punto en la Montaña, Inc. Elaine Ellis Center of Health, Inc. EMERGENCY USA Life Support For Civilian Victims of War Esperanza Health Centers Evangel Vesico Vaginal Fistula Center Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. Family Health Centers Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida Fenway Community Health Center Fetter Health Care Network Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, Inc. Florida Association of Community Health Centers Florida Community Health Centers Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board Tse’Hootsooi’ Medical Center Foundation for Puerto Rico Foundation of Amazon Sustainability FoundCare, Inc. Fundación Banco Medicamentos y Bienestar Fundación Bechara Fundación Centro Pediátrico de Diabetes Fundación De Obras Sociales De San Vicente I.A.P. Fundación Fraternidad sin Fronteras IAP Fundación Infantil Ronald McDonald de Puerto Rico, Inc. Fundación Solidaria del Divino Niño Jesús, Inc. Gift of the Givers Foundation Golden Valley Health Centers Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb Greater New Bedford Community Health Center Groundswell UK Gynocare Women’s & Fistula Hospital Harbor Health Services Harbor Homes, Inc. Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, Inc Health Alliance International Health Equity International Health Futures Foundation Inc. Health Net, Inc Health Partners of Western Ohio Health ProMed Foundation, Inc. Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida Collier Health Services HealthInova HealthLinc, Inc. HealthPoint Heart of Florida Health Center Administration Heart of God Care Centre Heart of Texas Community Health Center HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two dba Open Health Care Clinic Hogar Albergue Para Niños Jesús de Nazaret, Inc. Holyoke Health Center HOPE Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh, Inc. Horizon Health Care, Inc. Administration Hospital Comunitario Buen Samaritano, Hospital General de Castañer, Inc. Hospital Pediátrico Universitario Dr. Antonio Ortiz (Centro Medico) Hudson Headwaters Health Network Innis Community Health Center Integrate Health Interfaith Clinic International Community Health Services J.C. Lewis Health Care Center Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center Jericho Road Community Health Center Jessie Trice Community Health Johns Hopkins University Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil JWCH Institute, Inc. Kathmandu Model Hospital/ Public Health Concern Trust-NEPAL Kintegra Family Medicine-Hudson La Familia Counseling Center La Maestra Community Health Centers Lamprey Health Care, Inc. Lifelong Medical Care Administration Lincoln Community Health Center Incorporated Lwala Community Alliance Lynn Community Health, Inc. Maple City Health Care Center Marillac Community Health Centers Marshall Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers MCR Health, Inc. Med Centro, Inc. Medical Associates Plus Medical Genetics Department Faculty of Medicine Mendocino Community Health Clinic, Inc. Hillside Health Center Metro Community Provider Network Midwives for Haiti Migrant Health Center Western Region, Inc. Moreno Valley Family Health Center Community Health Systems, Inc. Morovis Community Health Center, Inc. Moses Lake Community Health Center Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation Mountain Park Health Center Murshid Hospital and Health Care Centre National Alliance for Hispanic Health National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics National Black Church Initiative National Black Nurses Association Native Action, Inc. NC MedAssist Neighborhood Health Neighborhood Health Center of WNY, Inc Neighborhood Healthcare Administration Neighborhood Medical Center, Inc. NeoMed Center, Inc. Nevada Health Centers Carson City Administration NEW Health Programs Association Newark Community Health Centers Nia Tero North Country Family Health Center, Inc. North East Medical Services North Florida Medical Centers, Inc. North Hudson Community Action Corporation-Administration Northeast Community Clinic Northeast Florida Health Services Family Health Source Northeast Valley Health Corporation Corporate Office Omni Family Health OneWorld Community Health Center Onkwehon:we Midwives Collective Open Door Family Medical Centers, Inc. Opportunities Industrialization Center Optimus Health Care Outer Cape Health Services Oxnard Firefighters Foundation, Inc. Palms Medical Group Pancare of Florida, Inc. CHC Bay County ParkTree Community Health Center Partnership Health Center Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) Patronato Pro Hospital Civil de Tijuana Peninsula Community Health Services People to People Aid Corporation PERC, Inc. Person Family Medical Center Piedmont Health Services Por Los Nuestros, Inc. PR CONCRA Puerto Rico Community Network for Clinical Research on Aids, Inc. Premier Community HealthCare Administrative Office Primary Care Medical Services of Poinciana, Inc. Osceola Community Health Services Primary Health Care, Inc. Primary Healthcare Centers of Dade, Inc. Project Health, Inc. dba Langley Health Services PryMed Medical Care, Inc. Public Health Management Corporation Public Health Seattle & King County QueensCare Health Centers Rahmawati Husein Richford Health Center, Inc. Rio Beni Health Foundation Rotary Action Group for Family Safety Rural Health Group Ruth Paz Foundation, Inc. Michael Paz, President SAC Health System Salud Integral en la Montaña, Inc. Salud Para La Gente Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation (SAHF) Santa Barbara County Fire Dept Santa Barbara Education Foundation Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Eastside Neighborhood Clinic Santa Rosa Community Health Centers Brookwood Health Center Sea Mar Community Health Centers Self-Help for the Elderly Servicios de Salud Primarios de Barceloneta d/b/a Atlantic Medical Center Settlement Health & Medical Services Shalom Health Care Center Shanti Foundation Share Our Selves Community Health Center Sinergias Alianzas Estratégicas Para La Salud y el Desarrollo Social Solar Responder Solukhumbu Polytechnical Academy South Boston Community Health Center South Cove Community Health Center Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative Pharmacy Southwest Community Health Center Spectra Health Spring Branch Community Health Center St. Luke Foundation for Haiti St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor St. Thomas Community Health Center Summit Community Care Clinic Sun Life Family Health Center Suncoast Community Health Centers Administrative Offices Sunrise Community Health Sunset Park Family Health Center at NYU Langone Susquehanna Community Health & Dental Clinic, Inc. Syrian American Medical Society Foundation Tampa Family Health Centers Terre des Hommes Hellas The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois The Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Inc. The Center for Family and Child Enrichment, Inc. The Family Health Centers of Georgia Inc. The Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, Inc. DBA Family Medicine Health Center The Floating Hospital The Healing Kadi Foundation/ Covenant Presbyterian Church The Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County The Institute for Family Health The MAVEN Project The Navajo Nation Thunder Bay Community Health Service, Inc. Triangle Area Network Tri-Cities Community Health Tri-City Health Center Tumaini La Maisha Tanzania Turner House Clinic, Inc. (d/b/a: Vibrant Health) Uganda Cancer Institute UMMA Community Clinic UNC Project Tidziwe Research and Care Centre United Way Bengaluru Unity Health Care, Inc. University of KwaZulu Natal Upham’s Corner Health Center Urban Health Plan, Inc. Valley Wide Health Systems Via Care Community Health Center Village Reach Vista Community Clinic Westside Family Healthcare Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center, Inc. Whittier Street Health Center William F. Ryan Community Health Center World Heart Federation Yakima Neighborhood Health Services Yayasan Bumi Sehat Yemen Aid, Inc.
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