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?