Hurricane Katrina Information for Mississippi Hospitals

McGlinchey Stafford offering free legal work

McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, is working with the State of Mississippi as pro bono bond counsel to implement a $25-million dollar loan program to help small businesses hurt by Hurricane Katrina.

The $25-million Disaster Loan Program will provide assistance to small businesses in Mississippi directly impacted by Katrina by providing short-term financing for their businesses operations. Ultimately the program serves as a recovery effort to help strengthen the foundation of Mississippi and restore the state's economic health. The program is modeled after a successful Florida bond program.

. HHS partners with governors, Louisiana to speed EHRs in Gulf States

The Department of Health and Human Services today announced agreements with the Southern Governors’ Association and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to promote the widespread use of electronic health records in the Gulf Coast regions affected by Katrina and other recent hurricanes. The governors’ association will host a Gulf Coast Health Information Task Force that will bring together local and national resources and coordinate planning to help physicians, hospitals and other health care providers rebuild patient medical records electronically, HHS said, while the Louisiana agency will develop a prototype for sharing health information and supporting electronic health records that can be replicated throughout the region. “The initiatives announced today align with national efforts to advance the use of electronic health records and accelerate secure sharing of health information among providers,” said National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Brailer, M.D.

[ via AHA News ]

Are there limits on our ability to disclose information for disaster relief purposes?

If the individual whose information is sought is present and competent, the covered entity may release the information if

• the individual agrees
• the individual does not express an objection
• the covered entity reasonably infers that the individual does not object

If the individual is not present or competent, the covered entity may determine whether the disclosure is in the best interests of the individual and disclose only the PHI that is directly relevant to the individual's healthcare.

A covered entity may forego both of the above requirements if the requirements would interfere with the ability to respond to the emergency circumstances.

For more information see Section 164.510(b) Uses and Disclosures for Involvement in the Individual's Care and Notification Purposes of the Bricker & Eckler Web site.

[ via HIPAA Weekly Advisor ]

Foundation accepting applications for funding

The Community Foundation of Greater Jackson is accepting applications for funding from the Hurricane Katrina Assistance Fund.

Invited to apply are nonprofit community-based organizations and shelters in the tri-county area affected by the hurricane and helping evacuees. Organizations and shelters assisting Gulf Coast evacuees also will be considered. The application can be accessed online here.

The deadline for the first round of applications is Dec. 1. For more information, call (601) 974-6044.

The Community Foundation of Greater Jackson is a nonprofit foundation focusing on philanthropic giving in central Mississippi.

Hospital Status Sytem (HSS) Update Frequency Change Notice

The Mississippi Hospital Association and the Mississippi Department of Health wish to thank all hospitals who have increased the frequency of their Hospital Status System completion since Hurricane Katrina hit. This has offered great assistance with increased surveillance for potential health issues in Mississippi. MHA has received notice from MDH staff requesting that hospitals complete the online updates of the HSS once per week through Dec. 31, 2005.

If you have questions or need more information, contact Joyce Pearson at MHA at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3228 or jpearson@mhanet.org.

Job postings on Idealist.org in Mississippi are now free

To help nonprofit organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas deal with the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, all job postings on Idealist from now until the end of the year will be free for any organization in these four states.

Idealist.org is a project of Action Without Borders, a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in New York City, connecting organizations, people and resources, to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.

Job postings on Idealist are usually $50. They hope that by waiving this fee they can make it easier for organizations in these states to reach the thousands of people who visit the Idealist and subscribe to their daily nonprofit job alerts. You can also use Idealist to post internships, events, and volunteer opportunities, which are *always* free.

If your organization is not yet on Idealist, go to

http://www.idealist.org/neworg

and take it from there. And again, just ignore any mention of a fee.

N.H. hospitals sending aid to Miss.

Supplies from hospitals around New Hampshire are heading to Mississippi to help Hancock Medical Center in Bay St. Louis recover from Hurricane Katrina.

The New Hampshire Hospital Association already had been raising money for the Hancock Medical Center in Bay St. Louis, but also collected equipment to help the hospital return to normal. After the hurricane, the Mississippi Hospital Association matched those wanting to help nationwide with those in need of help in our state. The assistance is part of that effort.

Federal Resources for Hospitals

Attached below is a letter from Governor Barbour and a list that the feds have prepared for health care providers listing federal payments available for providing health care services to hurricane evacuees and rebuilding health care infrastructure.

Download ghb_ltr_to_health_care_professionals_1005.doc

Download summary_of_federal_payments_available_for_hcp.doc

Katrina, Rita disaster aid deadline extended for four states

Residents of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas who were victims of hurricanes Katrina or Rita have until Jan. 11, 2006 to apply for state and federal disaster assistance under an extension announced Oct. 28 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “There are still hundreds of people registering every day,” said Vice Admiral Thad Allen, principal federal coordinating officer for the hurricane recovery efforts. “We want to make sure that everyone affected by the storms, especially those who have evacuated outside their home state, have the opportunity to register.”

[ via AHA News ]