My last 2 days in Utica marked a sharp decline in my activity paired with extraordinary leaps for the status of the DR. Yesterday saw a big change in our operation; we sent no one into the field to do outreach and we closed all the open HS cases. These are both huge events for HS in a DR, possibly only overshadowed by the closing of the last shelter (which occurred on day 3, I believe).
The end of outreach means that we who orchestrate the response believe that there is no longer a critical medical need within the community. This decision is made very carefully and with much consideration using both hard numbers and the feelings of those who work in the field. We made this decision as we watched the number of new HS cases being opened decline despite continued contact with the community. Basically, although we still had nurses in the field contacting people in the affected areas, they were continually unable to identify disaster-related medical needs. This quantitative observation was coupled with the qualitative observations made by our nurses in the field that while need in the communities affected was still present, it was not need which could be addressed by HS. This is a hard decision to make, but it is one that must be made in every operation.
The next big step was to close all open HS cases. This means that we addressed the needs of all of those people who were identified to have disaster-related medical needs. In many cases it just meant a follow up to ensure that people got the medical care they needed from their primary care physician or an urgent care center. In some cases, it meant providing direct financial assistance to clients so they could visit a clinic or replace their lost prescriptions. In every case, it meant accomplishing the goal of Red Cross health services, to identify those who were ill or injured as a result of the disaster and ensure that they receive the care they need to recover. When the cases are closed it really does mark the end of major operations; new cases slowly trickle in over time, but the acute need is met.
When the outreach is done and the cases are closed, it signals that it is time for the transition. This is the point when all of the deployed volunteers leave and the responsibility for ongoing operations is transferred to the local Red Cross chapters. This does not mean, however, that the community is left without Red Cross assistance. The chapters, who undoubtedly have the most interest in the full recovery of the community, as they live there, continue to ensure that the needs of the community are met in the long-term. Financial support of operations by national HQ continues, providing the local chapters the funding they need to heal the community. What it does mean, is that the community is slowly returning to normal; the need for numerous Red Cross volunteers from around the country is diminished as the community is again able to support itself. It truly is a great time to be involved in an operation, as you watch first hand the move from response to recovery.
So, operations are returning to the chapter and I am sitting in the airport in Albany, returning to my chapter. It is hard to leave, as always. You meet the most incredible people when working with the Red Cross, people with an inexplicable drive to help others in need. They have seen what it is like to lose everything and will give 110% to provide those who have lost with what little comfort they can. They will work themselves to the point of complete exhaustion (not hyperbole, I have witnessed it firsthand) and then argue with you when you tell them they need to take a day or two off. While I watch, in awe, some of the people around me I am proud to be a part of the Red Cross family.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Days 6 and 7 - Good Days
Well, I can describe the last two days as nothing short of amazing. In these two (13 hour) days we in HS have really accomplished some great things. They were tough and emotional, but we really were able to make a difference. Late in the evening of night 3 we discovered that a condolence visit for the one fatality from the flooding had not yet been conducted. Because of this, I had the privilege of conducting this visit along with an excellent Disaster Mental Health (DMH) worker, Paul.
We visited with two sisters who lost their mother when her home was washed away in a flash flood. Sparing many details, we were able to help these sisters and truly make a difference in their lives. Today I heard from the DMH manager (Sam) that as he was having dinner with an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV, the vehicle that provides mobile feeding in affected areas) crew they began talking about a woman who got a meal from their truck earlier that day. The ERV crew told Sam that this woman had lost her mother in the flood and was visited by two Red Cross workers. She told the crew how much that visit meant to her and how much it had helped her and her sister. She told them how much she appreciated what the Red Cross had done for her and how much it was doing for the community. That one unsolicited compliment validates everything we do and reminds me of how important the mission of the Red Cross is. I knew I could not fix her situation, but to make even the slightest difference is all I can ask for.
After finishing the condolence visit we returned to Utica. After doing more of the same from the past few days and continuing to support the other HS workers in the field, we found another opportunity to really impact the community. We got word that a number of homes in a small affected area had wells which had been contaminated by the flood. As a result, they had no safe water supply. We first sent personnel into the field to verify the problem. When they arrived and confirmed that the wells were contaminated, Lee, the HS lead (my boss), and I swung into action. We had already notified the bulk distribution team that there were possibly a number of families who would need water. In under an hour, we moved from a confirmed need, to putting together critical information packets on well testing and cleaning, to sending those packets to the warehouse where they were attached to hundreds of gallons of water and sent to families in need. This is really what Red Cross is about. We identified a critical community need, found a way to address it, brought together multiple Red Cross groups, governmental agencies, and community organizations, and put the plan into action in extremely short order.
These two anecdotes are just that, two brief narratives among a sea of other successes over the past few days. We have orchestrated numerous outreach activities which put HS workers in the field to identify the needs of the community and address them. We have provided extraordinary amounts of public health information to those affected, gotten ill and injured clients the medical attention they need, and assisted a number of clients who were unable to replace their lost prescription. And, all the while, we were also providing staff health services, a role which saw taking staff to the emergency room, monitoring health conditions, and ensuring that our bulk distribution staff who work so hard stay safe and healthy.
All in all, the past two days gave us the opportunity to make a real difference in the community and it reinforced how much I want to continue in supervision, helping to orchestrate the incredible machine that is the American Red Cross.
We visited with two sisters who lost their mother when her home was washed away in a flash flood. Sparing many details, we were able to help these sisters and truly make a difference in their lives. Today I heard from the DMH manager (Sam) that as he was having dinner with an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV, the vehicle that provides mobile feeding in affected areas) crew they began talking about a woman who got a meal from their truck earlier that day. The ERV crew told Sam that this woman had lost her mother in the flood and was visited by two Red Cross workers. She told the crew how much that visit meant to her and how much it had helped her and her sister. She told them how much she appreciated what the Red Cross had done for her and how much it was doing for the community. That one unsolicited compliment validates everything we do and reminds me of how important the mission of the Red Cross is. I knew I could not fix her situation, but to make even the slightest difference is all I can ask for.
After finishing the condolence visit we returned to Utica. After doing more of the same from the past few days and continuing to support the other HS workers in the field, we found another opportunity to really impact the community. We got word that a number of homes in a small affected area had wells which had been contaminated by the flood. As a result, they had no safe water supply. We first sent personnel into the field to verify the problem. When they arrived and confirmed that the wells were contaminated, Lee, the HS lead (my boss), and I swung into action. We had already notified the bulk distribution team that there were possibly a number of families who would need water. In under an hour, we moved from a confirmed need, to putting together critical information packets on well testing and cleaning, to sending those packets to the warehouse where they were attached to hundreds of gallons of water and sent to families in need. This is really what Red Cross is about. We identified a critical community need, found a way to address it, brought together multiple Red Cross groups, governmental agencies, and community organizations, and put the plan into action in extremely short order.
These two anecdotes are just that, two brief narratives among a sea of other successes over the past few days. We have orchestrated numerous outreach activities which put HS workers in the field to identify the needs of the community and address them. We have provided extraordinary amounts of public health information to those affected, gotten ill and injured clients the medical attention they need, and assisted a number of clients who were unable to replace their lost prescription. And, all the while, we were also providing staff health services, a role which saw taking staff to the emergency room, monitoring health conditions, and ensuring that our bulk distribution staff who work so hard stay safe and healthy.
All in all, the past two days gave us the opportunity to make a real difference in the community and it reinforced how much I want to continue in supervision, helping to orchestrate the incredible machine that is the American Red Cross.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Days 3 and 4 - Long Hours
The last 2 days have been a whirlwind but overall pretty great. They both started with quick breakfasts (very quick in the case of this morning) and the 1 block walk to HQ. Yesterday Lee, our new HS manager arrived and we set to work on getting everything on the operation organized and whipped into shape. Prior to our arrival the operation had been run somewhat seat-of-the-pants (understandably so, they have had their plate full trying to manage too much with too few staff). Now that the operation is moving toward the closing/transition phase there is some time to get things all squared away.
So, my days yesterday and today have been spent mostly working on paperwork, statistics reporting, and answering the questions of our staff in the field. Lee and I have also spent time working on the plan for the next few days as she has been working on the longer-term transition plan. The bad of it is that I have had long days with no client-facing work, but the good is that I am integral to the orchestration of the health services for the operation.
Well, now it is almost time for bed before a relatively late start tomorrow (9 am) followed by tracking down more paperwork. Maybe I'll even get out into the field sometime.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Day 2 - Utica
Today started off at 8 am with breakfast and a ride over to the Red Cross chapter in Albany. Once I got there I got in contact with HS at DR headquarters in Syracuse and got directions to come there. They were planning to move headquarters to Utica (about halfway between Syracuse and Albany) in the early afternoon and they wanted me to come there to help with the move. So after that I went back to the Albany airport, got a car, and started the 2 hour drive to Syracuse. Just before I passed through Utica, I got a call from HQ letting me know to just go straight to the new HQ in Utica. Happy that my travel time had been cut in half, I headed to Utica.
The new HQ is in the old Utica welcome center, right in downtown. It is a good sized building, with plenty of room for this relatively small operation. Once I go there I waited for everyone from Syracuse to arrive. Once they got there it was straight to work. I spent most of my time getting acquainted with the current state of the DR, discussing shelters, bulk distribution sites, and assignments for our HS personnel with the Manager, Sam, and the soon-to-be outgoing supervisor, Leanna. In addition to that I spent a good deal of time getting paperwork in order, requesting supplies, checking medical equipment, and other assorted tasks. Everything went well and it was a good time getting everything squared away for my time here. My last task of the day was getting together a resource list that I can send out with our HS field personnel tomorrow. A HS resource list has lots of information on general resources in addition to medical-related ones, as most requests for help involve non-medical needs and it is easiest to be able to answer them directly instead of sending them from place-to-place for help. If I have learned anything from my last 3 DRs it is that a comprehensive resource list is a fieldworker's best friend.
After work I grabbed a bite to eat, got checked into the hotel (quite fortunately only 1 block from HQ), and finished up work on the resource list. I look forward to my first full day of work tomorrow and the chance to dive into the DR that it brings.
The new HQ is in the old Utica welcome center, right in downtown. It is a good sized building, with plenty of room for this relatively small operation. Once I go there I waited for everyone from Syracuse to arrive. Once they got there it was straight to work. I spent most of my time getting acquainted with the current state of the DR, discussing shelters, bulk distribution sites, and assignments for our HS personnel with the Manager, Sam, and the soon-to-be outgoing supervisor, Leanna. In addition to that I spent a good deal of time getting paperwork in order, requesting supplies, checking medical equipment, and other assorted tasks. Everything went well and it was a good time getting everything squared away for my time here. My last task of the day was getting together a resource list that I can send out with our HS field personnel tomorrow. A HS resource list has lots of information on general resources in addition to medical-related ones, as most requests for help involve non-medical needs and it is easiest to be able to answer them directly instead of sending them from place-to-place for help. If I have learned anything from my last 3 DRs it is that a comprehensive resource list is a fieldworker's best friend.
After work I grabbed a bite to eat, got checked into the hotel (quite fortunately only 1 block from HQ), and finished up work on the resource list. I look forward to my first full day of work tomorrow and the chance to dive into the DR that it brings.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Day 1 - Albany
I got the call yesterday that I could deploy as a Health Services (HS) supervisor (SV) to central New York for flooding. This was the first I had even heard of flooding in NY, so I had to do a little research to even figure out what was going on. As it turns out, a number of rivers are above flood stage and the NY governor has declared 15 counties to be in a state of emergency. Earlier today Sen. Chuck Schumer toured affected areas in Oneida County (central NY). A federal state of emergency declaration for at least a portion of the affected areas is expected in the coming days. This will bring FEMA and the money behind it into the mix.
Right now Red Cross is doing what it does best, mass care. 3 (I think that is the most up-to-date number) Red Cross shelters are open housing affected people. I'll find out tomorrow more about population size in the shelters. Flooding in some areas has been severe so sheltering may last for some time but fortunately no fatalities have been reported (I am a little tired of condolence work). Anyways, thats the background info, on to today.
Day 1 started with final preparations to deploy, a trip to the chapter to get all my paperwork in order, and a drive to the Greensboro airport. My flight to Philadelphia was, unsurprisingly, delayed. That was ok, though, because the plane was only about half full so I had an empty seat beside me. After getting to Philadelphia, I found my flight to Albany (which was also delayed). After boarding we had a nice 45 minute wait to takeoff (and I was not so lucky to have an empty seat beside me). Once we finally got in the air, however, it was an uneventful flight to Albany.
Once I arrived in Albany, suffice it to say that it wasn't easy to figure out where to go and how to get there. Long story short, I got to the Best Western with the rest of the Red Cross people here and got a plan together for how to get to work tomorrow (I will probably be going to Utica or Syracuse in the morning). The biggest thing I gathered from my brief time here in Albany is how nice everyone is. From the Avis employees (who weren't able to help me but were very sorry about that) to the hotel staff (the jovial shuttle driver who came to pick me up from the airport, the all-too-accommodating receptionists, and the friendly albeit eccentric bartender) everyone has been very nice. I guess the south isn't the only place you get that.
Anyways, I will update this tomorrow night with where I end up and what I end up doing. Hopefully it involves minimal driving and minimal confusion but if previous disasters are any indication, that is wishful thinking (it is, after all, a disaster). I guess the best thing of all, regardless of any difficulties, is that my deployment to NJ over Thanksgiving wasn't my last one. I was pretty worried about that and I'm lucky to have a job this summer which lets me set my own schedule. I suppose it is ultimately up to me whether or not I choose a career which is conducive to me continuing with the Red Cross and I guess I have good reason to do that.
Right now Red Cross is doing what it does best, mass care. 3 (I think that is the most up-to-date number) Red Cross shelters are open housing affected people. I'll find out tomorrow more about population size in the shelters. Flooding in some areas has been severe so sheltering may last for some time but fortunately no fatalities have been reported (I am a little tired of condolence work). Anyways, thats the background info, on to today.
Day 1 started with final preparations to deploy, a trip to the chapter to get all my paperwork in order, and a drive to the Greensboro airport. My flight to Philadelphia was, unsurprisingly, delayed. That was ok, though, because the plane was only about half full so I had an empty seat beside me. After getting to Philadelphia, I found my flight to Albany (which was also delayed). After boarding we had a nice 45 minute wait to takeoff (and I was not so lucky to have an empty seat beside me). Once we finally got in the air, however, it was an uneventful flight to Albany.
Once I arrived in Albany, suffice it to say that it wasn't easy to figure out where to go and how to get there. Long story short, I got to the Best Western with the rest of the Red Cross people here and got a plan together for how to get to work tomorrow (I will probably be going to Utica or Syracuse in the morning). The biggest thing I gathered from my brief time here in Albany is how nice everyone is. From the Avis employees (who weren't able to help me but were very sorry about that) to the hotel staff (the jovial shuttle driver who came to pick me up from the airport, the all-too-accommodating receptionists, and the friendly albeit eccentric bartender) everyone has been very nice. I guess the south isn't the only place you get that.
Anyways, I will update this tomorrow night with where I end up and what I end up doing. Hopefully it involves minimal driving and minimal confusion but if previous disasters are any indication, that is wishful thinking (it is, after all, a disaster). I guess the best thing of all, regardless of any difficulties, is that my deployment to NJ over Thanksgiving wasn't my last one. I was pretty worried about that and I'm lucky to have a job this summer which lets me set my own schedule. I suppose it is ultimately up to me whether or not I choose a career which is conducive to me continuing with the Red Cross and I guess I have good reason to do that.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Day 9
Well, I made it home, but I figured I better write a final entry to wrap things up. I didn't write anything Friday because I was pretty sick, I think with food poisoning. Needless to say, that was a long night and I was quite glad that I already had Sunday morning off, because there is no way I would have made it in to headquarters at 8 am.
Anyways, I spent most of my last two days continuing the work I did Friday, which was closing cases in CAS. Between myself and Carla, a manager who came to headquarters after shutting down health services in the South region headquarters, we closed around 45 cases in those two days (which is a lot, in case you were wondering). It was constant work but that was fine with me. Sunday I took things a little slower, though, since I still wasn't feeling great. I had a late flight (9:30 pm) out of Newark, so I was able to work all the way until 6:00, get out-processed, and leave for the airport. I wasn't really ready to leave, as 10 days is pretty short for a deployment and there was still plenty of work to be done. Flatteringly, the HS lead Teresa and Carla didn't want me to leave, either. So, we said our goodbyes, they tried one more time to get me to stay longer, and I headed out.
All in all, it was a good deployment. I got a ton of good administrative experience, and I netted an excellent evaluation from Teresa. Most importantly, I was able to help a lot of people, even if most of it was indirect. I was happy to help Teresa keep the ship afloat so that the people in the field could do their job. It is a little bittersweet, though, as my future with the Red Cross is uncertain. I am unsure of what I will be doing after graduation, and I fear that it will be a job that won't let me continue to deploy. I suppose I can't worry about that now, though. I'll worry about how to get 10 days off from work when I get there. After all, who knows, I might end up deploying to New York in a couple weeks once winter break starts.
Anyways, I spent most of my last two days continuing the work I did Friday, which was closing cases in CAS. Between myself and Carla, a manager who came to headquarters after shutting down health services in the South region headquarters, we closed around 45 cases in those two days (which is a lot, in case you were wondering). It was constant work but that was fine with me. Sunday I took things a little slower, though, since I still wasn't feeling great. I had a late flight (9:30 pm) out of Newark, so I was able to work all the way until 6:00, get out-processed, and leave for the airport. I wasn't really ready to leave, as 10 days is pretty short for a deployment and there was still plenty of work to be done. Flatteringly, the HS lead Teresa and Carla didn't want me to leave, either. So, we said our goodbyes, they tried one more time to get me to stay longer, and I headed out.
All in all, it was a good deployment. I got a ton of good administrative experience, and I netted an excellent evaluation from Teresa. Most importantly, I was able to help a lot of people, even if most of it was indirect. I was happy to help Teresa keep the ship afloat so that the people in the field could do their job. It is a little bittersweet, though, as my future with the Red Cross is uncertain. I am unsure of what I will be doing after graduation, and I fear that it will be a job that won't let me continue to deploy. I suppose I can't worry about that now, though. I'll worry about how to get 10 days off from work when I get there. After all, who knows, I might end up deploying to New York in a couple weeks once winter break starts.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Day 7
Ok, I'll make this post brief because I'm tired and, more importantly, my roommate has to be up at 4:45 to be in the lobby at 5:00 to head out to work. He and the rest of the HS people (11 to be exact) are heading down to the Lavalette area, a part of the barrier islands where residents are only now being allowed back in. They will be setting up an emergency aid station and roving around the island, providing medical care for the residents who will just now be sifting through the remains of their homes.It will be a good experience for them, as most of them are new to the Red Cross and really need to see why we're here. I, on the other hand, will be in HQ with the chief and manager. I offered to go out to the island with them and the reply from the chief was "No, you're staying here with me." Well, I can't argue with that, I'm happy to be wanted, and I guess I've made myself enough of an asset to have to stay around the office and help.
My day today was quite busy and my day tomorrow will likely be much of the same. Today I split my time between working on closing cases and sorting out a few new condolence calls we have. For closing cases I have bene making phone calls to clients and determining what, if any health needs they have and finding ways to meet them. The new condolences came to us from FEMA, and we have spent the last couple days verifying that they were disaster relating and determining how to handle them. I have had a lot of people ask how I am able to do the computer work, phone calls, and paperwork so happily, and I guess it is a combination of knowing that this is what I was getting myself into and also knowing the importance of these activities. I guess I'm able to keep the big picture in sight and know that making sure the cases are squared away in the computer system ensures that the clients get the help they need. Maybe I'm just happy doing anything that contributes to the smooth operation of the operation.
Well I promised it would be short, so thats all for today. I finished the day with a dinner with a few of the nurses that had been in the shelters followed by a visit to the bar with a new friend in community partnerships from Oregon. Tomorrow promises to be another busy day (synonymous with good day, I like to have a stack of work bigger than I know what to do with), but I suppose we'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out about that.
My day today was quite busy and my day tomorrow will likely be much of the same. Today I split my time between working on closing cases and sorting out a few new condolence calls we have. For closing cases I have bene making phone calls to clients and determining what, if any health needs they have and finding ways to meet them. The new condolences came to us from FEMA, and we have spent the last couple days verifying that they were disaster relating and determining how to handle them. I have had a lot of people ask how I am able to do the computer work, phone calls, and paperwork so happily, and I guess it is a combination of knowing that this is what I was getting myself into and also knowing the importance of these activities. I guess I'm able to keep the big picture in sight and know that making sure the cases are squared away in the computer system ensures that the clients get the help they need. Maybe I'm just happy doing anything that contributes to the smooth operation of the operation.
Well I promised it would be short, so thats all for today. I finished the day with a dinner with a few of the nurses that had been in the shelters followed by a visit to the bar with a new friend in community partnerships from Oregon. Tomorrow promises to be another busy day (synonymous with good day, I like to have a stack of work bigger than I know what to do with), but I suppose we'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out about that.
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