By Duke Medicine News and Communications

The Duke Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)'s State Medical Assistance Team (SMAT), coordinated by the Duke Trauma Center, deployed at 6 a.m. this morning from Durham Regional Hospital. The team from the Duke SMAT is comprised of nine volunteer members professionally trained as emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians/paramedics and pharmacists. The Duke SMAT joined members of the Mid-Carolina SMAT and New Hanover SMAT in Charlotte to serve as state support for Carolinas Medical Center's MED 1 Mobile Hospital. The group is headed to a location approximately 100 miles outside of New Orleans in order to establish a 100-bed emergency field hospital to help the survivors of Katrina.

The Duke RAC/SMAT is comprised of volunteers who will remain in the area for as long as needed. At this time, it is estimated our team will be on site for about five to six weeks. We have been asked by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Management to prepare to send a second team for possible deployment on Sept. 9, as well as a third team for possible deployment on Sept. 16.

The team is prepared to treat any type of injury or medical need that patients may present with at the field hospital. They have brought general emergency medical supplies and equipment with them, such as intravenous saline solution, antibiotics and generators.

Duke Medical Center is identifying additional health care workers to volunteer to provide medical assistance to those in the Gulf Coast region who need our help.

Support for Outside Agencies:

• Duke is referring employees who are interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross disaster relief team to the Central Carolina chapter of the American Red Cross. Additionally, we are providing a list of training sessions and training locations to any of our employees who may wish to volunteer.
• The Health System is encouraging employees to provide financial contributions to appropriate agencies, including the ARC and the Salvation Army, as well as organizations responsible for collecting food donations and personal hygiene products.