Can I get information about what other states are doing to help evacuees?

For information concerning Hurricane Katrina assistance services being offered in surrounding states, visit the following state Web sites or links posted on the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals’ Emergency News Web site at http://www.dhhemergencynews.com/.

Web links from other states will be added as they become available.
LOUISIANA - Emergency News www.dhhemergencynews.com
TEXAS - Hurricane Katrina Information and Resources http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/dshstoday/katrina.shtm
ARKANSAS - Katrina Assistance Relief Effort http://www.kare.arkansas.gov/
MISSISSIPPI - “After The Storm Essential Health and Safety Notices” http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/index.htm

Can I volunteer my physician services with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals?

The Medicaid Program is seeking licensed physicians to contract with the program on a short-term basis. These physicians will help Medicaid workers make disability determinations so that sick people who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina can obtain eligibility for Louisiana Medicaid. Any interested provider should contact the Medicaid Program at 225-342-3866.

Also, the DHH Office of Mental Health is seeking board-certified psychiatrists to provide services in its Prior Authorization Unit of the Mental Health Rehabilitation Program to conduct medical reviews of requests for services that are based on level of need. This intensive effort is being undertaken to handle a backlog of cases, allowing psychiatric resources to be focused on victims of Hurricane Katrina. Any interested provider should contact the Office of Mental Health at one of the following numbers:

Displaced NOAH and Southeast Staff - 225-634-0265, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily (including this weekend and Labor Day)
Displaced OMH/District Staff - 225-262-2400; 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. weekends and holidays
Mental Health Professionals (not presently employed by DHH) - 225-262-2400; 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. weekends and holidays.

Do I need to get any vaccines before I return to clean up my home, which sustained damage in the hurricane?

At this time, DHH officials say there is no need for any special immunizations in the wake of a hurricane or other severe storm; however, residents who cut or puncture themselves while cleaning up after the storm should get a tetanus shot if they have not received one in the past five years. Adults should routinely have a tetanus shot every 10 years, but a booster shot is necessary if they have a dirty wound and their last shot was more than five years ago. If you meet these standards, you may want to receive a tetanus shot before returning to clean up your home. Contact the nearest parish health unit to see about obtaining the vaccine there.

I am a citizen and I want to volunteer my help in the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Effort- what can I do?

Please contact the Red Cross volunteer/donation number, 1-800-435-7669.

I am a DHH employee but cannot return to my usual place of employment at this time. What should I do?

DHH has established a line for employees to call and be assigned to the place where their skills are most needed in the recovery effort. Please call (225) 763-5574 to receive information as to where you can help. Your fellow employees have also established an employee form.

I am a doctor/nurse/medical professional who wants to offer my services in the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Effort. What can I do?

DHH’s goal is to have a coordinated effort so that state health workers can use volunteer help in the most effective and efficient way. If you are a licensed medical professional who wishes to assist in this effort, please send an e-mail with your name, contact information and area of experience, as well as dates you would be available, to eocpio@dhh.la.gov. DHH officials ask that anyone who volunteers his or her services waits for a return phone call from a department representative coordinating the medical relief effort before coming to Louisiana. A DHH official can speak with volunteers and coordinate their travel so that everyone can be assigned to an area where their medical skills will be of the most use.

I am a Louisiana Medicaid recipient who evacuated to another state. Can I still use my Medicaid benefits?

Your Medicaid benefits still apply as long as you are treated by an out-of-state provider who is willing to accept Louisiana Medicaid as payment. For more information on Medicaid benefits, please call 1-888-342-6207. For Medicaid Pharmacy Program benefits, please go to a pharmacy that accepts Medicaid benefits with your Medicaid card, and call Medicaid at 1-888-342-6207 for temporary enrollment. For Medicaid providers who need to get recipients’ prescriptions filled in other areas, please call 1-800-437-9101.

I am a Louisiana WIC recipient who has evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. Can I still receive my WIC foods and nutritional information?

The Department of Health and Hospitals has established a hotline number for the Women, Infants and Children [WIC] nutrition program recipients to find out how to obtain WIC items at their current locations. Call 1-800-251-BABY for this information.

I am an employee of a hospital in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina - how do I know if I am needed at work?

At this time, residents and employees of areas affected by the storm are being asked not to return to that location because of unsafe conditions. However, your services may be needed elsewhere - please call the DHH Medical Personnel contact number, (225) 763-5740. In addition, a "Displaced Employee Form" has been developed that you can complete online.

I am volunteering my help in the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Effort- what health precautions should I take?

The DHH Infectious Disease staff has established a set of guidelines for people who will be working in the affected areas. That is available by clicking here.

I did not bring my children’s immunization records with me when we evacuated - can I still enroll them in new schools?

The state has temporarily waived the requirement for parents to present their children’s immunization records to enroll them in schools. The Department of Health and Hospitals-Office of Public Health is using its internal LINKS system to track immunizations records and will share that information with the appropriate education officials.

I evacuated from the hurricane and have no means of paying for my prescription medications --- what can I do?

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy has received confirmation that emergency prescription needs will be taken care of for Hurricane Katrina evacuees without means to pay for their medications. Evacuees can go to any Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen’s or Kroger’s pharmacy in Louisiana or around the country to have their emergency prescriptions filled at no cost depending upon patient need. Nurses and doctors who have authority to write prescriptions and are treating patients in special needs shelters as part of the recovery effort can send their patients’ prescriptions to these pharmacies to be filled.

I have a relative with a developmental disability and need help relocating him/her. Whom can I call?

The Department of Health and Hospitals-Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities has established four OCDD Response Teams to facilitate the handling of requests from people with disabilities, their families, providers, employees and the community. This includes requests regarding ICF/MRs, waiver supports and services and state-funded services. OCDD is in the process of establishing a nationwide toll-free number for access to these teams. Until that number is established, please contact the office at 225-342-0095. This number will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. This includes weekends and the Labor Day holiday. The teams are established to locate people with developmental disabilities and their families who have been displaced; handle requests and questions regarding relocation of people with developmental disabilities; locate employees of developmental centers who have been displaced; and field offers of donations of funds, staff or volunteers who would like to assist people with developmental disabilities.

I need to enroll my child at a new school following my family’s evacuation and do not have the birth card he/she will need to do so. Where can I obtain one?

The Department of Health and Hospitals is offering no-cost birth cards (small versions of birth certificates) to evacuees and their children. Birth cards can be obtained from parish health units in the following regions: East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport and Monroe. Also, clerk of court offices in Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Bienville, Catahoula, Claiborne, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, Lafayette, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Plaquemines, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Tammany, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll and West Feliciana parishes will offer no-cost birth cards.

I want to volunteer my medical services but do not have license to practice in Louisiana. Can I still treat patients there?

Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has declared a public health state of emergency and waived the traditional licensure requirements so that physicians, nurses and other medical personnel licensed in other states can treat victims of Hurricane Katrina. For more details, please view Gov. Blanco’s executive order.

I was told to boil my water, but I have no electricity. How can I make my water supply safe to drink?

If the water is clear, mix 1/8 teaspoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach with one gallon (same size as two-2-liter drink bottles!) of water and let it stand for 30 minutes prior to consumption. If the water is cloudy or colored, use ¼ teaspoon per gallon of water. Be sure to mix thoroughly. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, it can be made to taste better by allowing the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or by pouring it from one clean container to another several times. If the water is clear, mix five drops of 2percent United States Pharmacopeia (USP) tincture of iodine solution (common household tincture of iodine from the medicine cabinet or first aid package) to each quart of clear water and let it stand for at least 30 minutes prior to consumption. If the water is cloudy or colored, use 10 drops to each quart of water.

I work for the state and am displaced because of the hurricane. Can I let my office know my whereabouts?

The state has established a line for displaced employees to call so their agencies can find out their current location and assist them with any needs. Please call (225) 342-9345 or (225) 342-9340. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of a displaced state worker is also asked to call this number so their co-workers can alert people that they are safe.

Is there a number I can call to help me find a loved one who has been missing since the storm?

The Red Cross has established a hotline for people trying to find family, friends and loved ones. That number is 1-877-LOVED 1S (1-877-568-3317).

My family member was in a hospital before the storm and we need to know where he/she was evacuated. How can we find out?

The Louisiana Hospital Association is compiling a list of this information. Families can call 225-928-0026 or they can go online www.lhaonline.org to find out information.

One of my relatives was evacuated from a community home in the Greater New Orleans area. How can I find him/her?

Community And Residential Services Association (CARSA), a trade organization for providers of services for people with developmental disabilities, in cooperation with the ARC of Louisiana, the Developmental Disabilities Council and The Advocacy Center, is available to assist families who may have relatives who were evacuated from community homes and other service programs in the Greater New Orleans area. Families seeking information may call the following numbers for assistance:

• CARSA - 225-343-8811
• The ARC of Louisiana - 1-866-966-6261
• Developmental Disabilities Council - 1-800-450-8108
• The Advocacy Center (Baton Rouge) - 1-800-711-1696
• The Advocacy Center (Lafayette) - 1-800-822-0210

Should I be worried about infectious diseases because of the hurricane?

The Department of Health and Hospitals would like to remind citizens that although the outbreak of infectious diseases may be a frightening prospect, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, widespread outbreaks of infectious disease after hurricanes are not common in the United States. Outbreaks of rare and deadly diseases do not suddenly occur after hurricanes and floods in areas where such diseases do not naturally occur. Because cholera and typhoid are not commonly found in the U.S. Gulf States area, it is very unlikely that they would occur after Hurricane Katrina. DHH officials say there is no need for any special immunizations in the wake of a hurricane or other severe storm; however, residents who cut or puncture themselves while cleaning up after the storm should get a tetanus shot if they have not received one in the past five years. For hurricane-related health and safety tips from the CDC, visit: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/index.asp.

What can I do about evacuated children who are abandoned without parents or guardians?

The placement of children is handled by the Louisiana Department of Social Services. Please visit their Web site at http://www.dss.state.la.us/ for more information.

Where can I get updates about community boil orders and post-hurricane health concerns?

That information is being regularly updated at http://www.dhhemergencynews.com/.