摘要：Objectives. We analyzed the response of the Chicago Department of Public Health with respect to its effectiveness in providing health care to Hurricane Katrina evacuees arriving in the city. Methods. Between September 12 and October 21, 2005, we conducted a real-time qualitative assessment of a medical unit in Chicago's Hurricane Victim Welcome and Relief Center. A semistructured guide was used to interview 33 emergency responders in an effort to identify key operational successes and failures. Results. The medical unit functioned at a relatively high level, primarily as a result of the flexibility, creativity, and dedication of its staff and the presence of strong leadership. Chronic health care services and prescription refills were the most commonly mentioned services provided, and collaboration with a national pharmacy proved instrumental in reconstructing medication histories. The lack of a comprehensive and well-communicated emergency response plan resulted in several preventable inefficiencies. Conclusions. Our findings highlight the need for improved planning for care of evacuee populations after a major emergency event and the importance of ensuring continuity of care for the most vulnerable. We provide an emergency response preparedness checklist for local public health departments. Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the Mississippi–Louisiana border on August 29, 2005, devastating the region and forcing more than 800 000 Gulf Coast residents to evacuate, the largest displacement of a population in recent US history. 1 Evacuation centers were initially established in the affected and neighboring states; in Texas, for example, an estimated 250 000 evacuees were provided services (shelter and other emergency relief services). 2 The response ultimately took on a national scope, with 45 states providing disaster relief services. 3 By September 4, nearly 500 evacuees had been airlifted to Illinois, 4 and over the following 2 weeks more than 6000 displaced individuals were estimated to have arrived on their own, most settling in the Chicago area. 5 In response, the city of Chicago collaborated with the American Red Cross, the United Way, and the Salvation Army to provide housing and other social services to evacuees. On September 6, Chicago's Joint Operations Center, which is part of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, established 2 relief centers: one at O'Hare International Airport and one at the Fosco Park Community Center, a new Chicago Park District facility. 6 The Fosco Park Hurricane Victim Welcome and Relief Center (hereafter “the center”)—the focus of our study—was used primarily by evacuees arriving on their own. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) was charged with providing medical and mental health care at the center. We summarize findings from a real-time assessment of Chicago's public health response and highlight lessons learned with respect to the center's provision of medical care. Our assessment was based primarily on qualitative interviews conducted during the center's operations; thus, it reflects staff members' perceptions at or shortly after the time they provided services. Our goals were to evaluate key systemic strategies developed to provide health care to a recently displaced population, to identify gaps in the public health response, and to offer suggestions for improvements.
