Recording Becky's e-mail update

I just wanted to have my e-mail from today to have on hand to look back on in the future.

Jason has been very busy the last 3 days. Some of you know that he has been working in a mobile unit (mini van) going around to shelters and churches. He was instrumental in getting the mobile units started. They hadn't had any, just makeshift clinics. The demand is greater in the evening since victims are looking for work and FEMA aide during the day. His team has now expanded to 10 with Docs, nurses, first response firemen (which Jason says has come in handy) and a Dept. of Public Health civil engineer (his normal work is to design and build new water facilities after a disaster). Jason's team is the 4th team out of 4 so far. They are seeing people who have had no health care since Katrina occurred. People have been off their regular meds this whole time. If a victim is living in a shelter then Jason writes a script from a special FEMA pad and that person can go to a local pharmacy and get it filled for free. I know we have heard so much bad press about FEMA and they could and should do more. There definitely should have had more preparedness, but Jason is seeing first hand the bureaucracy between local and federal governments and how difficult it seems to get things organized. Jason is seeing and working with a lot of good people trying to help our fellow Americans. The head nurse on Jason's team (she is also in that capacity in a hospital in Ann Arbor) just got word that her 18 year old son who is a quarterback had to be rushed to the hospital with probably a torn ACL. As far as I know she plans to stay with the team for now. I mention this just to illustrate that there are so many who are sacrificing to help.
In Jason's "tent city" there are 150 residents in his tent and there are about 20 of those tents. There is laundromat like tent,mess tent, showers and port-a-potties.
Jason told me last night that 3 real medical mobile unit bus like vehicles were parked outside and they were hoping to get one of those today.
Yesterday was a big day for Jason, his team, the shelter residents and FEMA relief efforts. You will hear a lot about this on the news. Jason is treating patients at the very first victim relief trailer park. Jason said it is awesome. It sounds like the President may even visit down in their area today or tomorrow. This is the first time something of this magnitude was built for disaster victims. It is in Baker, LA if you want to Google some articles. There are 580 trailers with a/c, water and sewer and they have designed it to look like a neighbor hood. Jason said once the government has acquired the land it takes 2 weeks to lay down power, establish water and sewer and move in the trailers that are equipped with government contracted supplies (sheets, dishes etc.) They can have them totally free for 18 months. There will be more of these trailer communities once they get the land. Jason has talked to many people that have been so distraught for 6 weeks and yesterday they were so happy when they saw their trailer. So many were so happy to have a regular bed. One lady offered to give Jason her air mattress when she heard he was sleeping on a cot. He declined. I sent Jason down there with a big bag of goodies to hand out to the kids. He said they are a big hit. I can imagine the sweet smiles.
The team has taken one of the trailers and using it as a vaccination clinic. The Head of the Department of Health came by and saw the work Jason's team was doing and was so thrilled. He said this is how the relief effort should work. Jason is working with people from all over the country.
Ok, I think that is all I have for now. Jason and I are so excited about the work he doing, so I wanted to pass it along.

Love to all,
Becky