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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Hurricane Harvey/
Disaster Relief
By Leah Jacobson, MD, 2017 BCMS President
In light of the recent tragic events revolving around Hurricane resources. MRC volunteers include physicians, nurses, pharmacists,
Harvey, I decided to focus this article on the BCMS and physician dentists, veterinarians, and epidemiologists. Other community mem-
involvement in the emergency operations. I cannot thank Dr. David bers, such as interpreters, chaplains, office workers and legal advi-
Cohen, chair of the BCMS Emergency Preparedness Committee, sors, can fill other vital support positions.
and Melody Newsom, BCMS Chief Operations Officer and staff
liaison for the committee, enough for their many hours of coordi- WHAT CAN MRC VOLUNTEERS DO?
nation and long days at the San Antonio Emergency Operations • Promote disease prevention, eg. distributing mosquito dunks to
Center (EOC). Most of you may not be aware of this, but BCMS
remains involved in ongoing efforts to plan for such events as Hur- the community to prevent insect-borne diseases, such as Zika
ricane Harvey. It is imperative that all factions- police, fire, medical, and West Nile viruses.
etc., be ready to go when needed. • Improve health literacy by distributing information at health
fairs.
A big thanks also goes out to all the BCMS members, physician • Eliminate health disparities
non-members, nurses, and allied health professionals who quickly • Enhance public health preparedness
volunteered their services. Almost 500 people responded to our call • Assist local hospitals and health departments with surge per-
for volunteers and assistance. BCMS, in combination with Univer- sonnel needs.
sity Health System (UHS) and the military at SAMMC, were able to • Participate in mass prophylaxis, vaccination exercises and com-
successfully staff three evacuee shelters on an around-the-clock munity disaster drills.
basis. Another thanks has to go out to the Metropolitan Health De- • Train with local emergency response partners.
partment staff for their support, and the firemen and policemen
who offered their assistance in special circumstances. HOW CAN THE MRC BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY?
• Bolster public health and emergency response infrastructures
Many of the Gulf Coast evacuees that we saw in the shelters had
multiple chronic medical conditions and had forgotten their med- by providing supplemental personnel
ications. Many also just wanted someone to talk to or check on • Enable communities to meet specific health needs
them- they would ask for tylenol or aspirin, an ice pack, a blood • Allow local communities more autonomy, less reliance on state
pressure or sugar check. At the Centennial shelter (where I volun-
teered) there was a large homeless population, and many of the and national resources
evacuees had mental health issues. It was a very helpful addition to • Give community members the opportunity to participate in de-
have volunteers from the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS)
Crisis Care Center on-sight so quickly. veloping strategies to make their communities healthier and
safer
If you are interested in getting more involved in these circum- • Provide mechanisms for information sharing and coordination
stances, you may join the BCMS Emergency Preparedness Com- between all partner organizations
mittee and/or become a member of the Alamo Area Medical • Provide a dialogue between emergency management and public
Reserve Corps (MRC) which is coordinated through the City of San health agencies.
Antonio's Metropolitan Health Department. The MRC is a partner
program of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedi- Register with the Medical Reserve Corps at:
cated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with the www.sanantonio.gov/Health/EmergencyManagement/Volunteer
Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Peace Education/MedicalReserveCorps.
Corps are all part of the President's USA Freedom Corps, which
promotes volunteerism and service throughout the nation. MRC We hope that we will not experience such an event any time in
units are community-based and function as a locally-organized the near future, but if so, I know that San Antonio/Bexar County
group of volunteers, medical professionals and others, who pro- and BCMS are ready to meet the challenge. Please think seriously
mote healthy living, prepare for and respond to emergencies. MRC about how or what you can do to help make a difference.
volunteers supplement existing local emergency and public health
Sincerely,
Leah H. Jacobson, MD, 2017 BCMS President
8 San Antonio Medicine • October 2017
