From University of Miami Command Center ... Accounts from Port Au Prince Airport, Haiti - Project Medishare

[CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight]

Colleagues,

Please see email from MedTech-IQ member Scott Simmons from the University of Miami (UM) Command Center in Miami, sharing reports from the UM team in Haiti ...
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I just returned from our University of Miami (UM)/Project Medishare command center. Here is some background and the latest update:

Within 24 hours of the quake the UM/Medishare team set up a field medical facility within the UN-secured zone on the grounds of the Port Au Prince airport. The command center in Miami and deployed team are coordinating logistics and flights to/from Haiti with medical volunteers and supplies, and return US citizens & patients back to the US. Last night, the team was able to get 2 BGAN satellite Internet terminals up and running, to facilitate logistics/coordination, and this has also enabled low bandwidth videoconferencing (Skype) with the UM/Medishare command center and UM/Jackson Ryder Trauma Center. The immediate focus is on acute care (trauma, ortho, etc.) with ever-improving surgical capabilities. Personnel from around the US have joined the team (incl USC, Harvard, and others), and Colombian & Israeli teams have also set up shop there. Expansion of this facility is in process, with plans to develop a secure gate at the facility to enable medical teams and materials to move to other secure locations throughout Haiti in collaboration with Partners in Health, Doctors without Borders, and many others who have been doing heroic stuff since the quake.

I believe that the role of telehealth will be over the longer term dealing with the myriad sub-acute and chronic problems Haiti will face over the next several weeks and months. As has been the experience of many other disasters, getting skilled acute-care professionals to where they’re needed and establishing reliable communications for situational awareness and logistical coordination are the first priorities.

I would encourage people who want to help to donate to their favorite charity that is involved in Haiti. If you want to contribute directly to the UM/Medishare effort, UM has set up a website with more details on how to donate supplies, money, or time:

http://www.med.miami.edu/haiti-relief/

If you have telehealth-specific offers, please log them with the website that ATA has established:

http://www.americantelemed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3525

Thanks for the many offers of assistance. The outpouring of support has been amazing!

Scott

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Scott C. Simmons, MS
Director of TeleHealth

University of Miami
Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
1150 N.W. 14th Street, Suite 206 (R350)
Miami, FL 33136

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
http://www.med.miami.edu/telemedicine

[CC-Conrad Clyburn-MedForeSight]

Correction,

Scott is reporting from the University of Miami Command Center in Miami, not direcctly from Port au Prince. These are reports from the team in Port au Prince transmitted to the Command Center in Miami.

CC