internship abstract
TRANSCRIPT
Internship AbstractTitle: Durable Medical EquipmentName: Lester Julian McRaePreceptor: Michael Prasad, Director of Disaster Support FunctionsAgency: The American Red Cross - North Jersey Region
Purpose: To analyze knowledge and expand awareness about the importance of having the necessary durable medical equipment (DME) available at shelters throughout New Jersey during a disaster.
Significance: Disaster relief is one of the key services areas that the American Red Cross provides during an emergency. The American Red Cross designs disaster relief plans that increase execution and decrease the amount of adversity faced when a disaster strikes. Durable medical equipment is used by people with Access and Functional Needs (AFNs) to maintain their independence. After an emergency or disaster strikes, some people arrive at shelters without the durable medical equipment (DME) that they require to maintain their AFNs (FEMA, 2015).
Method/Approach: Request durable medical equipment in the form of donations or loan agreements from healthcare organizations and facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and assisted living facilities for use in the event of a disaster striking the region. Durable medical equipment includes among other items wheelchairs, walkers, 4-prong canes, and shower chairs. These key items will be stored along with the rest of the inventory in shelter trailers only to be distributed to shelters during a disaster (FEMA, 2015). Other DME may be obtained from partners on demand.
Outcomes: This study will give northern New Jersey health care facilities an alternative to disposing durable medical equipment. The American Red Cross will be able to form agreements with these facilities to receive this donated equipment on a frequent basis and establish partnerships for loaning of equipment during disasters.
Evaluation: This study was evaluated by placing a sufficient amount of equipment at each American Red Cross trailer supporting each county in the Red Cross Region. Calls to providers resulted in 6 wheelchairs, 36 walkers, 16 commodes, 21 canes, and 21 pairs of crutches added as donations to the Red Cross, which are key components to 6 shelter trailers.