Health leaders to tour evacuee sites in hurricane region

According to reports Secretary Mike Leavitt is taking a team of health care, public health and social service leaders to Louisiana and the Gulf Region as part of ongoing efforts to extend care and services to where evacuees of Hurricane Katrina are located.

Leavitt says the team will build upon existing state, local and federal efforts to provide for the immediate health care needs of evacuees by extending services for ongoing medical, mental health and social services needs as well as public health and disease prevention.

HHS health care experts and medicines were pre-deployed to the region before the hurricane and subsequently delivered immediately following to supplement the needs of FEMA and state and local health agencies.

Included in the team will be representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of Minority Health, the American Red Cross, and the Children and Families Department.

The team will also be joined by leaders from Defense for Health Affairs, the department of Defense, and the Surgeon General.

Leavitt says the efforts to provide immediate health care to hurricane victims and the public health needs of the Gulf region, will be ongoing.

He says the government wants to ensure the federal government's health and human services are being extended to every area where evacuees located.

Apparently the Secretary and his team will be going to evacuee locations throughout the Gulf Coast region, including Louisiana and Texas.

Leavitt wants to see that HHS resources are appropriate and meet the ongoing needs of the hurricane victims.

The team plans to visit sites in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, in Louisiana, and then Houston, Dallas and San Antonio in Texas.