Access to care among displaced Mississippi residents in FEMA travel trailer parks two years after Katrina

The health care needs of Gulf Coast residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 who remain in travel trailer parks nearly three years later have not been evaluated. We conducted a population-based assessment of the health care access of residents of these travel trailer parks in Mississippi. Our findings indicate a worsening of chronic disease, mental illness, and barriers to health care access since displacement. Meeting both the chronic disease and the mental health needs of people displaced by the hurricanes of 2005 is essential for ensuring their full recovery and that of the region.