Addressing the Healthcare Needs of Displaced Populations with Chronic Illness Following a Disaster: Examples from the US Public Health Service Federal Medical Station Experience

During the years 2005-2018, the US Public Health Service (PHS) deployed teams, known as Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF), as a component of disaster response. One component of the disaster response was for a PHS RDF to establish a Federal Medical Station and work with other federal and civilian partners to provide health care to individuals with chronic medical conditions that routinely required additional support for activities of daily living. These individuals were usually housed in private residences or residential facilities and were displaced by the disaster. The operational model was to gather the target population in a temporary facility, assess the needs of each individual and accompanying caretakers, provide health care and social support, and plan a discharge to either an intermediate facility or return to their original residence, if conditions became appropriate. RDF PHS-1 developed approaches for assessment, tracking, planning, resource utilization, and decision making that were field tested, refined them, and then validated their utility. The experience is shared here to inform other disaster responders who may encounter similar displaced populations and circumstances.