Dr. Cherian Thomas, head of the UMCOR Health Unit, suggests that some volunteers, who have the qualifications and want to go into Haiti before UMCOR stations are up and ready, might want to consider this way of serving, through the U.S. Government.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is requesting physicians of specific specialties to deploy with the National Disaster Medical Assistance teams to Haiti. The need is for trauma surgeons, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, and others with experience in treating crush injuries. Volunteers must be able to serve for at least 2 weeks, and be willing to live and work in Spartan conditions.
Preference will be given to physicians who are Creole or French speakers and to those currently credentialed through the Medical Reserve Corps in their home state, or the ESAR-VHP program (Emergency Services Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Personnel).
These volunteers will need to be credentialed as temporary federal employees and will need to be able to provide credentialing paperwork as soon as asked. Credentialing normally takes about a week. Volunteers with these clinical skills should contact Michala Koch (Michala.Koch@hhs.gov). Not everyone who wishes to help will necessarily be deployed, and those without the requisite skills may not receive a direct response.
For medical professionals wishing to help in this way in future relief efforts, please take a few minutes to learn about the Medical Reserve Corps. Click here, identify your local unit, and register to become part of the corps. This is the channel through which medical volunteers are deployed immediately following an event, and only those registered beforehand are likely to be deployed.
Thank you for your service!
For information on UMVIM teams /project sites, write Lorna Jost, UMVIM-NCJ Coordinator, 928 4th St. #4, Brookings, SD 57006, phone 605-692-3390 or visit www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/index.html.