In response to the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps has received several requests for assistance from DOD components and from ASPR. In addition to activities described yesterday, OFRD has done the following:

• OFRD has deployed three officers to meet with the US Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Group SIX, which was due to depart Norfolk, VA today at 1800. At the request of the Navy mission commander, these officers will serve as the Public Health Advanced Team.

• The USNS Comfort leadership requested we identify and deploy one USPHS administrative officer to the ship. This officer has been identified (LCDR Angela Girgenti, a Health Services Officer with HRSA). She is scheduled to report to USNS Comfort at 1200 tomorrow, 15 January.  This officer’s role will initially be as an administrative officer in the USNS Comfort planning division and assist in coordinating the arrival of follow-on USPHS personnel. The USNS Comfort will depart Baltimore for Haiti approximately Saturday, 16 January.

• OFRD received a request to deploy two officers to the USS Carl Vinson to perform disaster public health assessments in Haiti, as well as 3-5 similar officers to the USNS Comfort. OFRD is identifying the officers for this mission and is attempting to determine funding sources for their travel to the ships.

• CAPT Christine Benally reported to the EMG for support activity. Furthermore, two additional officers have been deployed through OFRD to provide round the clock support for EMG operations. They are CAPT William Taylor, an FDA Scientist and CDR Valerie Jimenez, an FDA Health Services Officer.

• US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has specifically requested the deployment of a USPHS liaison officer (LNO) to SOUTHCOM to assist in facilitating communication with DHHS response activities.  An officer has been identified and is to deploy to Miami tomorrow, 15 January. The officer is CDR Ed Dieser, an Engineer at CDC. SOUTHCOM will fund this deployment

• OFRD has received a request from ASPR operations to deploy a mental health officer to imbed in the Incident Response Coordination Team (IRCT) currently located at their pre-deployment staging location in Atlanta, as soon as possible.  The IRCT was due to deploy from Atlanta to Haiti this afternoon.  An officer has been identified and is being tasked for deployment, due to report to the IRCT tomorrow, 15 January. The officer is CAPT Phil McRae, a Health Services Officer from the Bureau of Prisons.

• OFRD continues to coordinate with ACF and ASPR’s liaison at Department of State about possible incoming repatriation flights and related activities.

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This page was last modified: 11/17/2011 02:31 PM