Direct Relief provided a summary of its response and $29.5 million in aid for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It focused on supporting local health organizations and clinics experiencing increased demand. Key points:
- $3.3 million in cash grants went to 31 Gulf Coast clinics, hospitals, and associations
- $26.1 million in requested medical donations were distributed to the affected regions
- Support prioritized community health centers and safety-net clinics serving the uninsured influx
7 Disasters in 7 Weeks: MedShare Disaster Relief 2017Caitlin Fischer
MedShare CEO & President, Charles Redding, spoke at the Commonwealth Club about the challenging aspects of multiple disaster logistics. He discussed how MedShare has built a global capacity to meet the needs of local communities. MedShare’s connections to healthcare systems support this approach around the world.
Speaker: Dick Bower, Building/Fire Safety/Emergency Management Director, City of Gig Harbor
Lack of coordination between members of the emergency management community adversely affects our
ability to protect citizens. While a host of federal, state and local sources provide the emergency
management community with guidance through the four phases of emergency management, such
guidance falls short of emphasizing the full value of an established multi-agency coordination (MAC)
entity and system. By building relationships between the governmental agencies, response partners,
private sector, non-governmental and faith based organizations that make up the community, effective
multi-agency collaboration spanning the entire emergency management continuum can be developed.
Such collaboration provides effective, efficient, and cost-effective emergency management across the
full continuum of emergency management activities. By redefining Multi-Agency Coordination to
include pre-incident/event collaboration planning, mitigation, response and recovery activities can be
greatly improved.
7 Disasters in 7 Weeks: MedShare Disaster Relief 2017Caitlin Fischer
MedShare CEO & President, Charles Redding, spoke at the Commonwealth Club about the challenging aspects of multiple disaster logistics. He discussed how MedShare has built a global capacity to meet the needs of local communities. MedShare’s connections to healthcare systems support this approach around the world.
Speaker: Dick Bower, Building/Fire Safety/Emergency Management Director, City of Gig Harbor
Lack of coordination between members of the emergency management community adversely affects our
ability to protect citizens. While a host of federal, state and local sources provide the emergency
management community with guidance through the four phases of emergency management, such
guidance falls short of emphasizing the full value of an established multi-agency coordination (MAC)
entity and system. By building relationships between the governmental agencies, response partners,
private sector, non-governmental and faith based organizations that make up the community, effective
multi-agency collaboration spanning the entire emergency management continuum can be developed.
Such collaboration provides effective, efficient, and cost-effective emergency management across the
full continuum of emergency management activities. By redefining Multi-Agency Coordination to
include pre-incident/event collaboration planning, mitigation, response and recovery activities can be
greatly improved.
Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on any community. Recovery can take years, even decades. This presentation outlines the ways in which communities can be impacted by natural disaster and the recovery process, specifically using the example of Wadena, Minnesota.
Social Protection in the Face of Climate Change: Targeting Principles and Fin...BASIS AMA Innovation Lab
BASIS Director Michael Carter and BASIS researcher, Sarah Janzen (Professor, Montana State University), presented in December 2015 on the importance of social protection mechanisms in the face of climate change.
STP 2014 - Lets Learn from the Top Performance Mistakes in 2013Andreas Grabner
Presentation given at STPCon 2014. It highlights the top performance problems seen in 2013 and how we can identify these problems in dev & test instead of waiting until the app crashes in production
Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on any community. Recovery can take years, even decades. This presentation outlines the ways in which communities can be impacted by natural disaster and the recovery process, specifically using the example of Wadena, Minnesota.
Social Protection in the Face of Climate Change: Targeting Principles and Fin...BASIS AMA Innovation Lab
BASIS Director Michael Carter and BASIS researcher, Sarah Janzen (Professor, Montana State University), presented in December 2015 on the importance of social protection mechanisms in the face of climate change.
STP 2014 - Lets Learn from the Top Performance Mistakes in 2013Andreas Grabner
Presentation given at STPCon 2014. It highlights the top performance problems seen in 2013 and how we can identify these problems in dev & test instead of waiting until the app crashes in production
Architecture | Thinking Distributed to Improve Agility | Jamie AllsopJAX London
2011-11-02 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
I've spent several years working in fully distributed agile teams and I've learned that the distributed setting highlights the need to get to the essence of agility. Having then spent time with co-located teams that profess to be agile I've found that applying the distributed mindset can help break the often in-grained and dysfunctional approaches that sometimes foster. So, what I may have thought of as being a limiting factor in distributed development before, I have now found to be an advantage. I think there are some interesting ideas that I can put forward. Learning outcomes would be: * how distributed agile techniques can be applicable in a co-located setting * how going distributed can be an effective way to address problems in a non-agile stagnating culture * there is a balance that can be reached after the initial switch to a distributed approach Part of the talk will be to present recipes that work well in a distributed setting and then explore why that's the case and then suggest how that might help the general case. The underlying theme here is that the more 'extreme' the setting the more important it is to get to the real essence of agility in order to succeed. By doing this we learn how to be more agile in general.
BTD2015 - Your Place In DevTOps is Finding Solutions - Not Just Bugs!Andreas Grabner
This is about leveling-up and REVOLUTIONIZING Testing as part of your Agile/DevOps Transformation.
You can contribute more than testing functionality. You need to Level-Up your skill set by understanding the apps you are testing. # Images, # JS Files, # SQL Statements, Connection Pool Utilization and Garbage Collection Activity have to be added to your portfolio.
Check these metrics when you do your functional testing and report regressions to your engineers even though the functionality is still good. But you just uncovered an Architectural regression that will lead to a scalabilty and performance problem.
Finding these problems early will eliminate a lot of wasted and unplanned time later on in the lifecycle. that is your contribution to delivering software faster with better quality
Was asked to present in an inspirational and experiential manner the major idea and spirit conveyed in the book "Orbiting the Giant Hairball" at a conference of over 1500 senior level IT managers.
Hidrox e Olivenol Plus senza segreti!
Una spiegazione scientifica delle attività farmacologiche dell'idrossitirolo, del nostro prodotto Hidrox®, le possibilità di utilizzo e il processo Integrale®.
Roberto Crea presenta CreAgri Europe al Circolo Canottieri Aniene di Roma.
Direct Relief USA provides targeted assistance to help community clinics and health centers prepare for and respond to emergencies. Safety net clinics deliver essential healthcare services when disaster strikes. Direct Relief works with them to get them the resources they need, and also pre-positions medical supplies at clinics so they can be immediately available when an emergency occurs.
Response efforts—which include distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and cash—are swift, involve local partners, and are coordinated with other nonprofit organizations and public health authorities to ensure the most effective use of resources. Because of the existing partnerships with safety net agencies and healthcare manufacturers, as well having experience in pharmaceutical distribution, Direct Relief has the unique ability to offer targeted, appropriate, and timely emergency response.
Learn more at http://directrelief.org
Disaster preparedness and relief: effective strategiesMeghan Ennes
Recently, natural disasters and humanitarian crises have devastated communities around the world. When these disasters strike, businesses have emerged as leaders in preparedness, relief, and recovery efforts. In this session, learn how your peers have developed short and long-term strategies that prepare them to help communities in need
What Are Grants For Disaster Relief, And How Can I Apply?Americas Got Grants
Disaster relief grants are indeed provided by various entities, including the federal government, state governments, foundations, and other organizations, to assist in the recovery efforts following a disaster. These grants play a crucial role in supporting communities and individuals affected by disasters.
Separate each question with references add website to find referen.docxklinda1
Separate each question with references **add website to find references**.
1. Americans are a giving, compassionate people. They willingly support any number of domestic and international causes that bring relief and hope to those in need. Is there a limit to this generosity? Some analysts point to what they call “Donor Fatigue.” This describes a situation where people no longer give to causes that they supported in the past. What is “donor fatigue? Critics point to the National Flood Insurance Program as an example. Everyone feels compassion for those who have lost their homes and possessions due to flooding, right? Maybe not. Many insurance companies refuse to underwrite flood insurance in certain locations because the potential liability exceeds the premiums they can charge. Critics assert that taxpayers should not be required to subsidize those who choose to build in known floodplains – they know the risk, they should accept the risk. Is this “donor fatigue?” What do you think? Explain your position.
2. The Disaster Response and Contingency Planning guide is a basic foundation for responding to a disaster or crisis by organizational entities ranging from businesses, schools, and government levels from local to regional to national. One of the functional annexes typically included in such plans is one for pets and animals. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PL 109-308), informally known as the PETS Act, provides that certain state-designated shelters are required by statute to provide co-located shelter facilities for pets. Is this a best use of scarce resources? What should the government’s responsibility be for pets?
3. In your opinion, of which of these seven major issues that can have a significant impact on homeland security represents the greatest threat to the United States? Why?
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Economic Disparity and Social Fragmentation
Water Security, Food Security, and Energy Security
Decreased National and Multinational Solidarity
Unrest Across the Globe
Demographic Change
Cyberthreats
4. The recovery phase of any disaster event creates a huge requirement for manpower for cleanup, repair, and restoration. Traditionally, a sizable segment of the manpower pool is provided by volunteers from NGOs, churches, community organizations, schools, etc. What are the advantages to using volunteers? What are the disadvantages?
.
Interagency Recovery Coordination CASE STUDY TatianaMajor22
Interagency Recovery
Coordination
CASE STUDY
Guidance Development Office, Interagency Coordination Division, Recovery, FEMA
This case study was originally published in October 2019.
Arizona Wildfire Recovery
A COORDINATED NETWORK OF RECOVERY SUPPORT
Learning Objective: Examine how Arizona applied its Disaster Recovery Framework to leverage federal and
philanthropic resources to recover from a complex, non-declared wildfire disaster that devastated a small
community in 2013.
Keywords: Recovery, Non-Declared Disaster, Wildfire, Local Government, State Government, Coordination,
Infrastructure Systems, Low-Income Population, Identifying and Leveraging Resources, Philanthropic Organizations
PART ONE
Background
In June 2013, the unincorporated community of Yarnell in Yavapai
County, Arizona experienced a dangerous wildfire caused by a
lightning strike. It took 12 days for emergency personnel to contain
the fire, during which time mandatory evacuation orders were in
place for the communities of Yarnell and Peeples Valley.
When the fire was contained, over 8,300 acres had burned. Most
devastating to the community, 19 local firefighters lost their lives
attempting to contain the fire. This was the greatest loss of U.S.
firefighter life since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and
the most wildland firefighters ever killed in a single fire.
According to the initial Preliminary Damage Assessment, 116
residences were impacted, 93 of which were completely destroyed.
Approximately 30 of the destroyed structures were uninsured
residential homes, and 50 percent of the impacted community was classified as low-income. Among many other
infrastructure impacts, the fire caused approximately $1 million in structural damage to the Yarnell Water
Improvement Association, a private water co-op that served as the sole water supply for the entire Yarnell area.
Damages stemming from the fire in Yarnell did not meet the threshold for FEMA funding. The Governor’s Emergency
Fund also could not provide funding for repairs to privately-owned infrastructure, including the water co-op.
Challenges
Local leadership and the Yarnell community were facing a major, complex recovery effort following the wildfire. In
the days immediately following the disaster, the community was not only physically impacted, but also emotionally
impacted by the loss of fellow community members and the severe interruption to day-to-day life.
In the midst of this, the realization that local leadership would have to take the lead in facilitating and directing the
recovery effort was daunting. The level of support available from the state or federal government was a looming
question: how much financial or technical expertise would these other governmental partners be able to offer to aid
in Yarnell’s recovery? The extensive damage to local residences and infrastructure, combined with the uneven
insurance coverage and ...
Similar to Hurricanes katrina and rita six months later (20)
Direct Relief’s annual report on Fiscal Year 2014: During this period—July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014—Direct Relief responded to more requests for assistance, fulfilled its humanitarian mission more expansively, and provided more assistance to more people in need than ever before in the organization’s 66-year history.
Nonprofit community health centers and clinics that provide preventive and primary healthcare services for 24 million people – or one in 13 persons in the U.S. – report that the first year of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation had uneven effects, particularly between facilities in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states.
The findings were released today by Direct Relief in The State of the Safety Net 2014, an annual report that examines issues and trends within the extensive network of nonprofit, community-based health centers and clinics, which are the principal point of access to healthcare and the medical home for persons with low incomes, without health insurance, and among the country’s most vulnerable. Such facilities include Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), nonprofit community-based health clinics, and free and charitable clinics.
Key Findings – 2012 State of the Safety NetDirect Relief
A quick glance at the most striking facts and information found within the 2012 State of the Safety Net report.
For more information visit http://www.directrelief.org/usa/state-of-the-safety-net/
Child and Maternal Health in Kenya 2011 ReportDirect Relief
This report evaluates access to maternal and child healthcare and health outcomes in Kenya using geographic information systems (GIS), statistical analysis, and a comprehensive review of existing literature.
It seeks to aid in identifying distributions of health facilities and services relative to key maternal and child health indicators (e.g., safe delivery, care and treatment of birth injuries, antenatal and postnatal care, immunization, and nutrition).
It also seeks to contribute a portfolio of geospatial maps for identifying, analyzing, and monitoring health needs in one of the world’s poorest, most densely populated, and most vulnerable regions. In addition to identifying and analyzing information currently available, the report highlights limitations of both Kenya’s existing data sets and overreliance on distance as a measure of “access” and “use.”
This report responds to a request from Direct Relief International (DRI) to identify healthcare access and health outcomes in Kenya as part of its multi-organizational collaborative project to enhance health services in an integrated and efficient manner.
Along with the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), Marie Stopes International (MSI), and district-level health ministries in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, DRI is attempting to determine critical gaps in health infrastructure.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor TurskyiFwdays
I have heard many times that architecture is not important for the front-end. Also, many times I have seen how developers implement features on the front-end just following the standard rules for a framework and think that this is enough to successfully launch the project, and then the project fails. How to prevent this and what approach to choose? I have launched dozens of complex projects and during the talk we will analyze which approaches have worked for me and which have not.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and Sales
Hurricanes katrina and rita six months later
1. Special Report
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Six Month Update
DIRECT RELIEF Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged be leveraged to bolster the excellent local
BY THE NUMBERS coastal communities throughout the Gulf organizations and people that have the
(Through Februar y 10, 2006) Coast in August and September 2005, highest stake and most knowledge of the
affecting over one million people and local situation on the ground.
$0 amount of Katrina/Rita resulting in the largest national disaster in
U.S. history.
The $4.5 million in cash contributions that
contributions spent on Direct Relief has received may seem small
administration or fundraising. Nearly 60 years of experience and intense against the reported billions of private
Direct Relief maintains a strict ongoing activity related to the December contributions and government pledges.
policy of using 100 percent 2004 tsunami informed Direct Relief’s However, we consider each contribution to
of all hurricane contributions response to this complex emergency. We our organization a wonderful expression of
exclusively for direct hurricane have learned that the best responders trust and compassion. We also know that
expenditures. The organization immediately and over the long run are those who give expect us to use the money
is absorbing all administrative usually people who live in the affected or material in the most efficient, productive
costs associated with the areas. We also way possible to
hurricane response.
have seen help victims.
the recurring
1.5 million courses of dilemma Overall, Direct
treatment specifically requested that local Relief has
medicines, supplies, and medical furnished
leaders and
equipment provided through 86 over $3.3
organizations
shipments to Alabama, Arkansas, million in cash
doing the best
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas grants from
work during
high-profile the total of
$3.3 million cash grants emergencies $4.5 million in
made to 31 clinics, hospitals, total hurricane
are rarely the
and associations contributions
best at raising
received.
$4.5 million cash received funds during
the period of These targeted
to aid hurricane victims investments
intense media coverage when people give
so generously to help. complement the infusion of $26.1 million
$12.5 million wholesale wholesale of essential medical resources
medical in-kind donations Our support efforts have been aimed at – all of which were specifically requested by
received to specifically send both the major anchor facilities that provide end-user health professionals.
to the regions affected by specialized services and the network of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. safety-net clinics that play the key role of This report outlines Direct Relief’s
Additional product already in caring for people who have little money and response, analysis, priorities, detailed
Direct Relief’s warehouse was no insurance. Both types of facilities have expenditure of funds, and the dozens of
authorized for use in the Gulf undergone tremendous strain from surging partnerships formed to help during the six
patient visits, lack of revenue and, in many months following the landfall of hurricane
$26.1 million (wholesale cases, storm-related damage. Katrina in August 2005.
value) medical resources
furnished specifically requested Direct Relief did not solicit funds in We are accountable to more than 5,000
by end user health professionals connection with the hurricanes, but we generous people who entrusted their
pledged to devote our existing internal money to our organization, to the many
$29.5 million direct aid resources to the recovery effort. We companies who donated essential
material and ser vices, and to the people
provided in the form of donated adopted a strict policy, as we had following
medical products and cash grants the tsunami, to dedicate 100 percent of all living in the hurricane-affected areas for
funds received for hurricane assistance to whose benefit these resources have been
76.8 percentage of hurricane the direct delivery of aid in the region while received. We wish to express our deepest
funds expended to date absorbing all administrative and existing thanks and pledge our commitment to
internal staff costs. Our policies have help in the most productive way possible.
enabled all new disaster relief resources to
2. SUPPORTING LOCAL LEADERS
Direct Relief recognizes that local groups, local institutions, and local
people have always carried the load of work in their communities – that’s
true everywhere in the world. It has been Direct Relief’s privilege to work
with a number of community leaders along the Gulf Coast who have made
heroic efforts, inspiring their communities and Direct Relief.
William Bynum and Enterprise Corporation of the Delta (ECD)
Immediately following Katrina, ECD’s William Bynum played a key role
connecting Direct Relief with an association of African American physicians
and Dr. Alfred McNair. Among many other honors, Bynum was named
Ernst & Young National Supporter of Entrepreneurship in 2002. ECD
is a private, nonprofit community development financial institution that
provides commercial financing, mortgage loans and technical assistance to
support businesses, entrepreneurs, home buyers, community development
projects, and healthcare providers including community health centers in
economically distressed areas.
The Common Ground Free Clinic was
established soon after Katrina in response In response to Hurricane Katrina, ECD established a fund for targeted
to the lack of medical assistance available to
the low-income communities that remained
financial assistance to churches, clinics, and other community groups that
in New Orleans. Run by a rotating base were providing extensive support to displaced persons during the initial
of 20 volunteer health practitioners and emergency phase. Direct Relief provided a $250,000 grant to assist ECD
6 physicians from around the country,
with their targeted financial assistance. One particular low-interest loan to
Common Ground has had 10,000 patient
visits since it opened. a reverend in New Orleans allowed him to refurbish a dozen apartments
and rent them for a minimal cost so that some of his unemployed
parishioners could return to the city.
Dr. Alfred McNair and Reuben T. Morris Wellness Foundation
Dr. Alfred McNair is a member of the Mississippi State Board of Health,
manages a surgery center and digestive care facility, and serves as the
President of a local association of African American physicians.
Dozens of physician offices were Following Hurricane Katrina the question of whether or not medical
destroyed along the Mississippi coast line professionals would continue to practice in the Gulf area was a serious
during Katrina. Dr. McNair was able to
assist in finding temporary offices for concern. This prompted Dr. McNair to address the increased flow of nurses
dozens of physicians and Direct Relief and doctors from the Gulf to other parts of the United States. To assist
provided essential medicine and supplies Dr. McNair’s efforts to keep medical professionals in the area, Direct
for their patients.
Relief issued a grant to purchase a new medical
passenger van to deliver supplies to clinics and
physician’s offices and to shuttle patients to
doctor’s appointments. The grant also allowed Dr.
McNair to purchase essential drugs and supplies
as well as provide a short-term financial cushion
to nine local physicians who are renting homes or
offices after being displaced by the hurricane. Direct
Relief sent two shipments of medical aid worth
$2.8 million (wholesale) to replenish the inventories
of many of the local doctors who lost their offices
following the storm, allowing the doctors to continue
providing care in temporary offices.
3. HELPING PATCH THE SAFETY NET
“Community and free
clinics are the health In 2003, Direct Relief initiated a clinic-support program in California as
safety-net for low- a response to the deep budget cuts in public health services and the
income people. That growing number of residents without health insurance. Working through the
network of licensed nonprofit clinics that serve as the health safety net, this
net has been ripped, program has furnished prescription medicines to facilities with dispensing
and many more people privileges, over the counter medicines, and general supplies valued at more
than $13 million.
have been pushed
After the hurricanes, Direct Relief applied its successful approach in
into dire economic California to the Gulf states by joining with the national associations of free
circumstances and will clinics and community health centers and their statewide associations.
These clinics have experienced a significant increase in patient volumes,
need their services. We which strained their already precarious financial base. Recognizing the
are doing all we can to crucial role community health facilities play, Direct Relief focused its aid
immediately to community clinics and shelters where many evacuees fled.
make sure that these
The National Association of Community Health Centers and the National
safety-net clinics can Association of Free Clinics together represent more than 1,200 community
serve the people who based clinics throughout the U.S. These clinics play an essential role and
”
have deep experience serving people without money or insurance, as the
need care.
hurricanes both forced many people into such circumstances while causing
Thomas Tighe a net loss in overall health-service capacity. These facts led Direct Relief to
Direct Relief President & CEO focus aid at these frontline clinics, providing both material aid to care for
patients and financial assistance to conduct rapid assessments and cover
increased expenses due to surging demand. Direct Relief has furnished
cash grants of more than $400,000 to the associations for allocation to
their member clinics and to clinics directly.
The clinic associations’ networks provided a clear view of how the
hurricanes were affecting the demand for services among displaced people
in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Through the networks, Direct Relief
also was able to share efficiently and without duplication inventory lists,
enabling clinics to request essential items and fill emergency needs.
Working through the established network of frontline clinics also allowed
Direct Relief provided medical and financial medicines and supplies to be provided to clinic teams as they expanded
assistance to the pharmacy at Coastal Family
Health Center’s new clinic in Long Beach,
their services into temporary shelters that accepted evacuees in the initial
Mississippi. weeks after the storm.
Coastal Family Health Center
Direct Relief supported one of the main community health
networks along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Coastal Family
Health Center (CFHC). CFHC lost four of its six clinics
during Katrina and Direct Relief responded by funding a
grant of $93,000 to establish a replacement unit in Long
Beach, Mississippi. Direct Relief provided the necessary
equipment and supplies to CFHC so that it could restart
its comprehensive healthcare services to its community.
Merck Pharmaceuticals agreed to donate the modular
building CFHC needed and the county-owned, Singing River
Hospital paid for its transportation to the selected site.
4. “ Because of Direct
Relief’s donors we
The Center provides quality primary health, dental, and optical care to
don’t have to turn the community, with an emphasis on caring for those who have limited
terminally sick folks resources. CFHC also assists their patients with transportation when they
lack other means of receiving care. Five months after Katrina, CFHC, in
away during this very coordination with a local Lutheran church, continues to maintain a tent-
difficult time.
Phyllis Embrey
” based medical facility that serves an estimated 200 patients per day from
the surrounding area.
Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic
CAGNO Director
Located 136 miles from New Orleans, the Lafayette Community Health Care
Clinic (LCHCC) became an essential resource for evacuees from Hurricane
Katrina. LCHCC is a non-profit organization that provides quality outpatient
healthcare for the eligible working uninsured and has been very successful
in forging collaborative partnerships to address a wide range of community
healthcare needs. In existence since 1993, it is the oldest free clinic in
Louisiana. In the days following the hurricane, the city was in pandemonium
as people struggled to cope with the devastation in New Orleans. As
evacuees fled New Orleans, the clinic began to see an increasing number
KATRINA FACTS of patients in need of care. With a majority of the staff having evacuated,
the clinic began to open its doors to treat what patients they could. Within
$75 billion estimated two weeks of Katrina’s landfall, Direct Relief provided two shipments of
property damage essential antibiotics and first-aid kits to be distributed among the evacuees
living in the shelters around the Lafayette area.
670,000 people who have
not returned to their pre-Katrina LCHCC also requested assistance to provide emergency dental services,
homes. That’s 54% of the care management for evacuees with chronic illnesses, and community
1.25 million who said they had pharmacy services. The clinic is continuing its relief activities related to
evacuated. both Katrina and Rita. They are also conducting assessments of health
service needs and are attempting to expand their dental services to
26.3 percentage of evacuees and additional residents.
unemployment of Katrina CAGNO
evacuees who haven’t returned
Based in New Orleans, The Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans
2.5 million Gulf Coast (CAGNO) has served, on average, 600 uninsured or underinsured cancer
households that have filed patients annually. CAGNO was founded in 1959 and was established to
applications for FEMA provide United Way with its own locally-based cancer agency. In the past 45
assistance in all 50 states years, CAGNO has distributed prescription treatment and pain medications,
educated hundreds of thousands of community members, and administered
2,508 people missing millions of dollars in cancer research grants.
1,417 total casualties Due to Katrina’s disruption of the medical supply line and the public
transportation systems, CAGNO needed outside donations to re-supply its
1,101 casualties in LA patient medications and get patients to and from their physicians offices.
CAGNO also needed funding to purchase a number of vital medical and
238 casualties in MS surgical supplies, along with nutritional supplements for its patients. Direct
Sources: USA Today and Relief assisted with funds to cover the costs of patient transportation and
The Times-Picayune medications.
5. In-Kind Donors CORPORATIONS STEP UP
We thank the following donors whose
generosity has enabled us to help provide
1.5 million courses of treatment to front-
line health facilities along the Gulf Coast. Extraordinary partnerships with medical
3M Pharmaceuticals product manufacturers and distributors
Abbott enabled Direct Relief to respond in a fast,
Aearo Company efficient, and targeted way to the Gulf Coast
Alcon Laboratories, Inc. hurricanes. Fifty-five pharmaceutical and Pre-Positioning of Vital Medications
All Saints Greek Orthodox Church medical supply companies made product and Supplies Prior to Rita Proved
Allergan, Inc. contributions to assist the response. Invaluable
American Health Products Corporation
Amsino International In anticipation of Hurricane Rita, Abbott
Aramco Services Company initiated a plan with Direct Relief to pre-
BD position highly needed medications and
Beaumont Products Inc. medical supplies to be deployed on an urgent
Boehringer Ingelheim Cares basis. As a result, Direct Relief was able to
BMS Provides Nearly $3 million
Foundation deliver these medical resources on a specific-
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Worth of Critically-Needed Drugs request basis to 38 partner frontline clinics
Carlsbad Technology, Inc. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has provided within weeks. To date, Abbott has contributed
Cera Products, Inc. over $2.9 million (wholesale) of critically more than $573,000 (wholesale) worth
Child Health Foundation needed drugs (primarily antibiotics) to Direct of products to support the work of these
ConMed Corporation Relief’s partners in the Gulf Coast area since critical yet vulnerable safety-net facilities
Den-Mat Corporation Hurricane Katrina struck. These medicines in partnership with Direct Relief. Abbott’s
DreamWeaver Medical enabled patients to receive needed care at contributions have helped to provide 15,000
Edgepark Surgical dozens of health facilities struggling to meet courses of treatment for patients displaced
Ethicon, Inc. the increased patient load. From churches and from and/or being sheltered in Mississippi,
FNC Medical Corporation food banks that set up clinics and shelters Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. In addition to
Forest Laboratories, Inc. to existing community clinics and parish product donations, the Abbott Fund provided a
Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. hospitals, BMS’s support enabled Direct Relief generous grant of $150,000.
Herban Essentials to assist dedicated local people to help their
Hi-Tech Pharmacal Company, Inc. neighbors in need. Direct Relief and BMS
International Aid have worked together since 2001, and Direct
Interplast Relief administers the “Medical Mission Box”
Invacare Supply Group program with BMS for physicians traveling to
Johnson & Johnson provide humanitarian care.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer
Companies
Kendall Healthcare, Tyco
King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Martin Roth & Co.
McKesson Medical-Surgical Direct Relief and partner FedEx responding to
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharms.
Medical Action Industries Logistics and Transport Partnership
Merck & Company, Inc.
Essential Diabetes Supplies Proves Vital to Hurricane Response
Miltex Instrument Company
Nexxus Beauty Products
Delivered Immediately to Louisiana FedEx contributed intensive logistical support
and transportation services valued at $142,981
Omron Healthcare, Inc. Direct Relief worked with New Jersey-based
in support of Direct Relief’s Gulf Coast
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to
Hurricane response effort from September
Pfizer, Inc. deliver an emergency supply of diabetes-
2005 through December 2005. FedEx enabled
Sage Products, Inc. care products to a Louisiana clinic that had
Direct Relief to scale its response and provide
Sandel Medical Industries, LLC requested assistance. One week after Katrina
sanofi-aventis emergency supplies on an overnight basis to
struck, BD furnished the United Community
Sappo Hill Soapworks clinics managing through the crisis.
Health Center in Eunice with an extensive array
Schering-Plough Corporation of syringes and pen needles, blood glucose These contributions were over and above
STADA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. meter strips, and other supplies needed by FedEx’s ongoing assistance to provide
Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. over 2,000 people with diabetes who were monthly credit to support Direct Relief’s
Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt displaced by the hurricane. BD’s partnership health assistance programs domestically and
Vitamin Angel Alliance has been integral to Direct Relief’s post- internationally. Additional emergency support
Waldwick Plastics Corporation hurricane response, as it has been over the provided in calendar year 2005 included nearly
Zimmer Orthopedic Surgical Products past ten years in Direct Relief’s assistance and $100,000 of air freight costs to assist people
Zooth, a Division of Gillette development efforts worldwide. in tsunami-affected communities in South Asia.
6. CREATING MEDICAL SUPPLY LINES TO ANCHOR FACILITIES
Direct Relief’s emergency response efforts are
fast, but they also are conducted to strengthen the
existing health infrastructure in affected areas. In
any community, the existing health professionals
and facilities are essential in both the immediate
relief phase and thereafter. Direct Relief believes
substantial long-term benefits are best accomplished
when the infusion of resources are provided to those
who will continue to provide health services long after
the immediate crisis subsides. Direct Relief was able
to support vital health linchpins in the Gulf Coast
including the major hospitals in New Orleans and
along the Mississippi coast that remained open during
and after the disaster, as well as the major blood
distributor in the region.
Touro Infirmary Since Katrina and Rita, thousands of health practitioners have
either volunteered or worked overtime to assist those affected
Touro Infirmary, a non-profit hospital, has been by the hurricane.
embedded in the local community for over 150 years.
Gulfport Memorial Hospital
Touro, currently the only hospital open for adults
in the Greater New Orleans area has suffered tens Located in the hardest-hit area of the Gulf Coast,
of millions of dollars in damage from Katrina. In the Gulfport Memorial Hospital (GMH) withstood the
December, Direct Relief granted $250,000 to stabilize brunt of the storm and was pressed into immediate
Touro’s operations through the replacement of action as a recovery/support base for the community.
equipment and contaminated lab supplies. The hospital created a shelter for 800 persons
and provided 1,500 displaced persons with free
The Blood Center
emergency prescription medications for the first two
Hurricane Katrina caused a significant disruption in weeks after Katrina. One week after the hurricane,
the effectiveness of the main blood distribution center Direct Relief furnished two emergency shipments of
for Louisiana and Mississippi, and the organization pharmaceutical products valued at $65,000 during
was left with a $2 million loss after the water receded. this period and made an initial cash grant of $50,000
The Center was the major blood supplier in the region to the hospital on September 9.
and provided blood to over 50 hospitals prior to
A second grant of $65,000 enabled GMH to cover a
Katrina. The Blood Center received a grant from Direct
portion of the expenses it incurred in the aftermath
Relief for $430,000 to help restart the provision of
of the hurricane and to set up a medical call center
the blood supply to hospitals for critical surgeries,
that served Harrison and Hancock Counties. The
transfusions, cancer treatments, and other daily
call center received over 4,000 calls in the first
needs. Funds were used to help with reconstruction
three months. Specially trained operators provided
costs and to purchase specialized blood banking
information on available medical and pharmaceutical
equipment including a plasma freezing system, cell
services, as well as assessing the medical staffing
processor, and an automated collection system to
needs of rural and surrounding areas, matching them
further ensure their capacity to serve as the primary
to available medical personnel.
blood supplier to the region.
“ I don’t know what we would have done if it wasn’t for people like y’all. Donations from
Direct Relief allowed the hospital to take care of its own employees and reach out to more
members of our community.
” Cathy Wood, Director of Human Resources at GMH
7. A mural depicting the vibrant, diverse,
and artistic legacy of New Orleans.
Direct Relief provided funding to the
New Orleans’ Musicians Clinic for an
additional nurse practitioner to care for
musicians and their families who had been
spread across the state. The Musicians Clinic
utilizes a network of over 300 volunteer
medical providers and two paid staff officials.
G O I N G F O R WA R D
Additional information,
Over the past 58 years, Direct Relief International has worked
including a description
to strengthen the health systems caring for people in vulnerable
of how much, where, for situations caused by emergencies, poverty, and, in many
what purposes, and with instances, both. In focusing on health, the goal is to give people
what results money has the opportunity to lift themselves up and assist them in building
productive lives.
been spent is published on
Responding fast and appropriately to emergency situations such
the Direct Relief website
as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is one important aspect of our
– www.DirectRelief.org work, but it is only part of our long-term commitment to people and
communities around the world who need help on an ongoing basis.
With the remaining hurricane funds, Direct Relief will continue to
invest in the key frontline health facilities in the affected areas
serving hurricane victims. With the local health leaders, we also
are forming plans to strengthen their ability to access medical
Thousands of volunteers from all across the material resources for the longer-term, as tremendous needs
country have assisted the recovery efforts
along the Gulf Coast. At Coast Family Health
remain and better systems will help respond to future emergencies.
Center in Long Beach, MS hundreds of health
It is six months after Katrina, but only four months before the next
practitioner volunteers have maintained a tent-
based facility serving 200 patients per day. hurricane season, and continued attention is urgently needed.
Direct Relief will remain after the headlines fade and continue to
help in the most efficient, productive way possible.
5%
12%
Cash Grants and
Medical Procurement
6%
by State
Alabama: $151,825
Lousiana: $1,974,805
19%
Mississippi: $616,624
58%
Texas: $184,918
Total National Organizations:
$400,000
8. K AT R I N A / R I TA E X P E N D I T U R E S
Over 76 percent of the $4.5 million in hurricane relief funds
expended through February 10, 2006
Total Hurricane Cash Expenditures by Function
($3,463,486 expended through February 10, 2006)
0%
2%
2%
Cash Grants: $3,328,172
Mail and Telephone: $198
Procurement Management-Travel: $5,494
Procurement Management-Salaries: $5,725
Procurement of Medical Aid: $68,873
96%
Transportation of Medical Aid: $55,025
Direct Relief spent no money on fundraising for the hurricanes and is absorbing 100% of all administration costs from other sources.
Interest on unspent hurricane funds accrues to the hurricane account and may only be spent on direct hurricane expenses.
Allocation of Cash Grants and Medical Procurement by Purpose
($3,328,172 in grants and medical procurement expended through February 10, 2006)
5%
8%
Clinic Construction and Rehabilitation: $193,000
Emergency Operating Costs: $913,111
Financial Assistance Programs: 250,000
49%
27%
Mental Health Programs: $156,825
Provision of Health Services and
Medical Equipment: $1,648,200
Uninsured Patient Bill Reimbursement: $167,036
6%
5%
A detailed summary of each grant is available on our website describing where, why, how much, for what purpose, and results of money spent.
Hurricane Relief Shipments by Facility Type
15%
Clinic: 44
15% Distribution Center: 13
52%
Hospital: 13
Shelter: 7
8% Team: 9
10%
All financial information is unaudited.
h e a l thy people. better world. since 194 8 .
direct relief international 27 s. la patera lane santa barbara, ca 93117 t: (805) 964.4767 f: (805) 681.4838 www.DirectRelief.org