For offices HIV providers, communication is key
Louisiana health officials improve system
During the months following Hurricane Katrina and the destructive flooding of New Orleans, state HIV/AIDS officials were unable to effectively communicate with each other, let alone AIDS providers, service organizations, and HIV/AIDS clients.
But they were determined to not let this same communications meltdown occur again.
So they've put in place key strategies for keeping communication strong during a disaster.
Here's how they did it:
• Improve internal communication: The HIV/AIDS office greatly improved its internal communication.
"Pre-Katrina, we had the silly concept of a phone tree where the supervisor calls eight people under them, etc.," Scalco says.
The phone tree broke down very quickly when Katrina struck because so many different types of communication lines were incapacitated and staff had been evacuated to places unknown.
The first improvement the office made was to back-up the staff call-in system to Monroe, LA, Scalco says.
"Within 48 hours of a disaster occurring, all staff must make contact with a person who is in what we consider a safe location," Scalco says. "The new system worked well this last time with Gustav."
• Make sure staff carry technology with them: The HIV/AIDS office also handed out office laptops to its staff to take with them when they evacuated, Scalco says.
"We tried to put them in the hands of the people who were crucial to our communications, so if they had wireless Internet access somewhere else, they could log-on," she adds.
• Set up Yahoo groups for updated information: Another way the office improved internal communication was through having Yahoo Internet groups set up to communicate messages to staff and contractors, Scalco says.
"We had everyone registered before this storm so they could log in and keep up with what was going on," Scalco says. "The office closed was closed and there was no power, but people cost post on-line okay, saying, 'I'm back and handling these issues.'"
All they had to do was sign on to the Internet, says DeAnn Gruber, PhD, LCSW, an assistant professor at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Gruber also is an evaluation manager with the state's office of public health's HIV program.
"For some individuals, if their only option was to go to a shelter or hotel, then their Internet access was limited," Gruber adds. "But for the most part people knew how to get on line."
One staff member visited a public library in the week after Gustav and was able to log-in that way, she adds.
• Set up Yahoo groups for contractors, as well: Contractors also had their own Yahoo group where the state HIV/AIDS office could send them reassurances about payments, Scalco notes.
"We have contractors who deliver a majority of services across the state," she says.
After Gustav struck, the contractors continued to provide HIV testing and medications, but they were concerned about receiving payment since the New Orleans office was closed, she adds.
"Many of these organizations don't have huge budgets and need to be paid on a timely manner," Scalco explains. "So we set up a group for contractors to allay some of their fears."
During the months following Hurricane Katrina and the destructive flooding of New Orleans, state HIV/AIDS officials were unable to effectively communicate with each other, let alone AIDS providers, service organizations, and HIV/AIDS clients.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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