Late Breaking News
February Issue
Massive Effort Launched to Aid Haitian Earthquake Victims
WASHINGTON, DC—As part of the overall US relief effort for Haiti, the US military began a massive effort last month to provide assistance in the wake of a deadly earthquake that killed thousands of people and left a staggering number of others injured and in need of help.
Images from the earthquake-torn country showed an overwhelming scene of human suffering, piles of rubble and wreckage, and rescue workers trying to find any victims who may have survived. Haitian authorities were estimating that in all, at least 1 million were homeless as a result of the earthquake.
CDC Supports Two New Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers
WASHINGTON, DC—The CDC has awarded $2.7 million to establish two new Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs). These new PERRCs will conduct research that will evaluate the structure, capabilities, and performance of public health systems for preparedness and emergency response activities. These new centers are additions to the existing seven research centers funded in 2008. Full Article
Veterans Service Organizations Invited to Discuss Legislative Priorities
WASHINGTON, DC—In what is becoming an annual ritual, the House VA Committee invited dozens of veterans service organizations for a roundtable discussion on their legislative priorities. Topping the list was the growing backlog of disability claims, Full Article
Webinar Provides Training for Healthcare Responders
A webinar last month provided medical responders with an understanding of the common types of injuries (crush injury and syndrome, wound care and management, tetanus) and public health challenges encountered in the immediate phase of the Haiti earthquake response. Full Article
DoD-VA Suicide Prevention Conference: Compassion Fatigue Can Plague Healthcare Providers
WASHINGTON, DC—Mental healthcare providers in the military are not immune from developing compassion fatigue, experts said at the 2010 DoD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference held last month. “We are not immune from compassion fatigue by a long shot,” said Capt Joan Hunter, USPHS, RN, who is the director of psychological health for the National Guard Bureau. Full Article
