• Finding Missing Persons
• Resources for Health Care Professionals in the Gulf Region
• Patient Care: Medical Resources
• Patient Care: Mental Health Resources
• Patient Care: Information and Medical Records
• Volunteer Personnel and Resources
• Health Care Coverage and Access
• Information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Legal Issues for Hospitals and Health Systems
• Federal Government Websites
• Other Resources

Alabama Hospital Association
Many patients from Mississippi and Louisiana are being transferred to hospitals in Alabama as resources are depleted in those states. To assist families and friends in locating these patients, Alabama’s hospitals have created a searchable database at www.alaha.org. People can enter the full name of a missing person, and the Web site will search to determine if the patient has been admitted to an Alabama hospital, and, if so, will display the hospital name and contact information.

CDC Guidance on Identifying and Protecting Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina

Dallas-Ft. Worth Hospital Council Patient Locator
DFWHC has developed a patient locator function on their Web site, available to the public, so that friends and family members can locate patients who may have been transported to a Dallas-Ft. Worth area hospital. The council also is facilitating communication on patient transport, bed availability, monitoring the Emergency Medical Services system for all area hospitals, and communicating with the public health officials, among other activities.

International Committee of the Red Cross
In an effort to help restoring family links, the ICRC, in close cooperation with the American Red Cross, provides a Web site for those seeking information about their relatives possibly affected by the hurricane. The Web site is managed by the ICRD in close cooperation with the American Red Cross and other national organizations working in the affected areas.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

Mississippi Hopisital Association (MHA) Statewide Employee Resource Program
This website created by MHA for health care professional in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina contains a wide spectrum of helpful information and links including job and housing opportunities, information about the Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program and an online forum for dislocated health care workers.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Clinician Recommendations Regarding Return of Children to Areas Impacted by Flooding and/or Hurricanes

Association of Community Cancer Centers
Impact of Hurricane Katrina: Message to Displaced Oncologists Who Were Treating Cancer Patients in Southeast Louisiana. As a result of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of displaced cancer patients from the Gulf South are seeking care at treatment facilities nationwide. Information is desperately needed regarding their medical history to responsibly continue treatment. Click here for more information.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has announced that it will make cystic fibrosis (CF) drugs available to all patients affected by Hurricane Katrina regardless of their ability to pay.Click here for more information.

KATRINAHEALTH.ORG
This online service for authorized health professionals to gain electronic access to prescription medication records for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina was officially launched September 22, 2005.  The information on the site was compiled and made accessible by a broad group of private companies, public agencies, and national organizations, including medical software companies; pharmacy benefit managers; chain pharmacies; local, state, and federal agencies; and a national foundation. Click here for more information.

National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health
The National Cancer Institute's Web site provides a host of helpful information for health care providers and cancer patients, including 1-800-4 CANCER, which can be used as an additional contact point for oncologists and cancer patients.

SB HELP -- Spina Bifida Hurricane Emergency Life-support Program -- is the Spina Bifida Association's response to the outpouring of concern from the Spina Bifida Community and beyond for those who are living in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For more information, please call 1-800-621-3141 x.40 or visit their website.

The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
SAMHSA is providing a suicide prevention hotline, available to anyone - 800-273-TALK. The agency is also staffing from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET an emergency response center, providing behavioral health services for first responders - 240-276-1200.

Children's National Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, International Center to Heal Our Children
This program was designed to provide information, training and outreach to communities coping with traumatic events, such as Hurricane Katrina. There are several publications helpful to hospitals and providers, as well as communities in which they are providing relief. These resources are downloadable from the website and hard copies of the Handbook can also be ordered.

HHS Guidance on Releasing Patient Information
To ensure that individuals and providers know that they can readily share protected health information as needed to treat patients, and to emphasize how HIPAA provisions specifically allow sharing information needed in emergencies like Katrina, HHS has prepared this bulletin on HIPAA privacy and disclosures in emergency situations.

ICD-9-CM Coding Advice in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
This approved guide was developed to help coding professionals assign diagnosis codes for health care services provided to individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina. This coding advice has been approved by the four organizations that develop official guidelines for ICD-9-CM coding (American Health Information Management Association, American Hospital Association, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and National Center for Health Statistics.)

Keep It With You
The "Keep It With You" (KIWY) Personal Medical Information Form, developed by the Centers for Disease Control, is intended to be a voluntary and temporary record that lists medical care and other health information for people who need care during disasters and similar situations. It is important for health care workers to have a simple and reliable way to learn information about past and new health concerns for people receiving help.Click here to download the form.

Assisting in Disaster Areas: Deployment Guide
Produced by Daniel P. McCartan, RN, MS, CNS, regional emergency preparedness coordinator for the Western New York Healthcare Association, this publication provides guidelines, tips and other critical information for health care personnel preparing to deploy to assist in disaster areas.

ECRI's Katrina Medical Technology Information Clearinghouse 
(formerly the Emergency Care Research Institute)
A non-profit health services research agency and Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization (WHO)., ECRI has developed a central clearinghouse for information on disaster-relief medical products and services available from companies worldwide.

National Emergency Response Registry  (NERR)
Set up by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Emergency Response Registry provides coordination of resources that are needed with resources that may be available from the public and private sectors. Organizations wishing to provide or find items can register via the Web site.

America's Health Insurance Plans
AHIP has a toll-free number (1-800-644-1818) for victims of Hurricane Katrina who need to reconnect with their health insurance plans. People who have been relocated because of the hurricane are invited to call the number if they do not know how to contact their plan, or if they have questions about their coverage.

Medicaid Enrollment Assistance- On September 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopted a series of emergency policy changes to accommodate the needs of thousands of displaced Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program beneficiaries who have fled Hurricane Katrina and need medical attention in their new host states. Potential beneficiaries can to go www.govbenefits.gov.

Kaiser Family Foundation, Resources Related to Health Coverage and Hurricane Katrina 
Resources related to an ongoing effort to monitor and study the health coverage and needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

HHS is establishing an HHS Medical Travel System to return patients back to their home states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi after being evacuated pre and post hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

HHS: Letter from Secretary Leavitt on Suplemental Waiver Under Section 113 of the Social Security Act, September 29, 2005

CMS and Hurricane Katrina 
Find more information about CMS emergency relief activities, including a detailed explanation of billing and payment policy revisions, and phone numbers for the state medical assistance offices. Frequently asked questions and their answers on the site will be updated daily by 2pm.

CMS Fact Sheet, September 2, 2005

A list of  Questions & Answers  is available online. CMS will continue to add to the Qs & As and include the dates they were added/revised, so please continue to check back.

Medicare Contractor and CMS Regional Office Contacts

The Center for Law and the Public’s Health 
The Center is working to address legal issues related to the use of volunteer health professionals (VHPs) in response to the emergency circumstances in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama following Hurricane Katrina as part of its HRSA ESAR-VHP Legal and Regulatory Issues Project. For more information,click here.

Health Law Issues Raised by Hurricane Katrina
Vinson & Elkins, LLP, a national law firm with a specialty in health care, has compiled helpful information for hospitals and health systems dealing with displaced patients, evacuees and other critical medical issues.