THE CONTINUING PROMISE 2010 MISSION:
LESSONS FROM THE EHO PERSPECTIVE
LT Racquel Stephenson, MPH, REHS
COF Symposium
EHO Category Day
June 21, 2011
Background Four month duration (July-November
2010) Mission:
Provide medical care and infrastructure improvements in eight nations
Provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response SMEEs; aid in the event of a disaster
History 5th mission in four years to the region Previous missions:
over 270,000 patients treatednumerous infrastructure projects completed millions of items donatedhundreds of thousands educated
Information Source: United States Southern Command: Continuing Promise 2010
(http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=155)
USPHS Involvement
Invited by US Navy Previous involvement in CP09 Coordinated by OFRD OIC: CAPT Maurice Sheehan, FDA
The Amphibious Ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)
Information Source: United States Southern Command: Continuing Promise 2010
http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?id=155)
Background Diplomatic mission Direct care and
public healthPrimary care,
optometry, surgery, ob/gyn, dentistry dermatology, pharmacy, veterinary, prev med, health ed
Engineering TrainingInformation Source: United States Southern
Command: Continuing Promise 2010 (http://www.southcom.mil/appssc/factFiles.php?
id=155)
Background
Crew:1700 U.S. Uniformed Service personnel
○ DOD○ USPHS
NGOs (40+)International Partners
CP10 PHS 2nd Rotation Costa Rica and Guatemala
PREV MED CAPT Rossanne Philen, Medical
Officer, Translator/ Health Educator, CDC
CDR Carma Ayala, Health Educator/ Translator, CDC
CDR Michael Schmoyer, Health Educator/ Translator, CDC
LT Racquel Stephenson, EHO, ATSDR
DENTAL CDR Cristino Gavarrete, Dentist, ICE
PHARMACY LCDR Yon You, Pharmacist, CDC LT Lisa Tung, Pharmacist, FDA
Daily Life 12-16 hour days (0530 - 2200) Meals (Wardroom or MREs) Transportation
LCU or Helo to/from shore (if no port) Vans
Clinic hours: 0800 – 1600 Cleaning stations (if not manifested) Team briefs Mission briefs 2 minute showers! Drills
Pharmacy
Health Education
Environmental
Preventive Medicine
Dental
Preventive Medicine 4 drinking water facility assessments 2 solid waste site assessments 2 safety assessments 1 restaurant inspection 3 dw assessments at private establishments
Health Education Basic hygiene Point of use drinking water
treatment/storage Vectorborne disease prevention Chronic disease prevention
CVDDiabetes
Other Prev Med Activities
SMEE Entomology
EHO Lessons Learned
Prev MedBring supplies/equipment for chlorine testingBring supplies for testing to provide to host
nation (HN)Bring health education materials, preferably
ones that are interactive for kidsLimited photocopy/printingLimited computer access
EHO Lessons Learned
Prev Med cont’dMay be viewed as expert if only EHOLimited ability to provide concrete/tangible
solutions to HN○ Awareness and Education
Challenges with follow-up
EHO Lessons Learned
HealthBe prepared for daily exerciseHot/humid, no AC at clinicsHydrateBring snacksMREs are tasty at first, but…Malaria prophylaxisStress relief (day off, gym, recreation)Bring hand sanitizer/wipes and toilet paper
EHO Lessons Learned
Cultural CompetencyAttend mission briefsPre-conceived ideas about US, HN, and
missionConsiderations when approaching HN
counterpartsConsiderations when devising health
education messages/interventionsBi-lingual team member(s)
Questions?
Top Related