The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System evacuated seriously mentally ill veterans following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This report describes our experiences and makes suggestions for enhancing resident education and opportunities. Though there is substantial literature regarding the delivery of posttrauma and postdisaster psychiatric care, we found nothing regarding the actual evacuation process for mentally ill patients or for incorporating residents in the planning or execution phases of evacuation. We found only one article specifically describing residents involvement in providing disaster support (1). With little guidance regarding evacuation, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) assembled a planning team to address the issue. Team members included administrative officers, psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses. This team held teleconferences with the Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) Mental Health Service Line and administrative officers at affected sites. Discussion topics included patient numbers, travel requirements, funding, clinical preparedness, safety requirements, lodging, evacuation team staffing, communication, and the coordination of multiple simultaneous evacuations. Residents did not participate in this phase of the process. Although the hurricane-affected areas had evacuation plans to get patients to safe temporary facilities, the need to evacuate large numbers of patients to remote sites was unprecedented. Following Hurricane Katrina, the
Opportunity Missed: A Lesson Learned From Evacuating Mentally Ill Patients Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Abstract
The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System evacuated seriously mentally ill veterans following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This report describes our experiences and makes suggestions for enhancing resident education and opportunities. Though there is substantial literature regarding the delivery of posttrauma and postdisaster psychiatric care, we found nothing regarding the actual evacuation process for mentally ill patients or for incorporating residents in the planning or execution phases of evacuation. We found only one article specifically describing residents involvement in providing disaster support (1). With little guidance regarding evacuation, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) assembled a planning team to address the issue. Team members included administrative officers, psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses. This team held teleconferences with the Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) Mental Health Service Line and administrative officers at affected sites. Discussion topics included patient numbers, travel requirements, funding, clinical preparedness, safety requirements, lodging, evacuation team staffing, communication, and the coordination of multiple simultaneous evacuations. Residents did not participate in this phase of the process. Although the hurricane-affected areas had evacuation plans to get patients to safe temporary facilities, the need to evacuate large numbers of patients to remote sites was unprecedented. Following Hurricane Katrina, the
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Opportunity Missed: A Lesson Learned From Evacuating Mentally Ill Patients Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
McClain, Tina C.; Hamilton, Francis C.; Clothier, Jeffrey; McGaugh, Janette
Follow Academic Psychiatry
, Volume 31 (3): 188
American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc (Journal) – Jun 1, 2007
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