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.
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