Gulfport Memorial Hospital (GMH)
$50,000 - Procurement: Supplies for
special-needs shelter
$65,000 - Procurement: Emergency call referral center
$76,563 - Procurement: Incubator
Gulfport Memorial Hospital (GMH) is a private medical facility that has been in operation since 1946. Located in the hardest-hit area of the Gulf Coast, GMH withstood the brunt of the storm and was pressed into significantly increased action to respond to evacuee needs. The hospital created a shelter for 800 persons and provided over 1,500 displaced people with free prescription medications between August 30 and September 15. After Hurricane Katrina the hospital's emergency room staff was treating more than 500 individuals per day. Acknowledging that many of its patients had special medical needs and no shelter, the hospital allowed over 1,000 individuals to stay within its facility. After patients were well enough, the hospital assisted their transition to a nearby shelter, which it supports without any outside financial assistance.
Direct Relief's grants to GMH helped purchase additional supplies for their special-needs shelter, and to provide additional staff resources. Direct Relief has also covered the costs of staffing an emergency medical call center that will serve Harrison and Hancock Counties. This call center provides information on medical and pharmaceutical services, in addition to reviewing the medical staffing needs of rural and surrounding areas and matching them to available medical personnel.
Gulfport Memorial special needs shelter provided support, free of charge, to over 1,500 individuals after they were discharged from its emergency room. This support included food and clothing, other physical comforts, and approximately 5,000 filled prescriptions.
Reuben T. Morris Wellness Foundation
$82,061 - Procurement: Patient transportation and financial assistance
The Reuben T. Morris Wellness Foundation was founded in 1997 to provide medical education for communities along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Founder Dr. Alfred McNair manages a surgery center and digestive care facility, and is President of the local African American Physicians Association.
Following Hurricane Katrina the question of whether or not medical professionals would continue to practice in the Gulf area was a serious concern, prompting Dr. McNair's work to stem the flow of nurses and doctors relocating to other parts of the United States. To assist Dr. McNair in his efforts to keep medical professionals in the area, Direct Relief authorized a grant to; purchase a new medical passenger van to deliver supplies to clinics and physician's offices; shuttle patients to and from doctor's appointments and conduct health education campaigns; provide insurance and fuel costs for six months; and offer three months of financial assistance for nine physicians who are renting homes or offices due to being displaced by the hurricane.
Coastal Family Health Center Clinic
$93,000 - Procurement: Clinic supply restocking
The CFHC lost its clinic space at Moss Point during hurricane Katrina. Direct Relief funded a grant to establish a replacement unit and provide necessary equipment and supplies to CFHC so that it could once again provide healthcare services to its community, which needed its assistance more than ever. Merck Pharmaceuticals agreed to donate the modular building CFHC needed and the local county-owned hospital, Singing River Hospital, agreed to pay for its transportation to site.
The Center makes available quality primary health care, dental care, and optical care to its community, with an emphasis placed on caring for those who have limited resources to pay for the care they need. The Center also makes an effort to assist their patients with transportation when they lack other means of receiving care.
Enterprise Corporation of the Delta
$250,000 - Financial support: Clinic loan financing
ECD is a private, nonprofit community development financial institution that provides commercial financing, mortgage loans and technical assistance to support businesses, entrepreneurs, home buyers, community development projects, and health care infrastructure including community health centers. ECD also sponsors Hope Community Credit Union, which provides a range of financial products and services that meet the needs of low and moderate-income residents in its tri-state service area.
In response to Hurricane Katrina, EDC established a fund for targeted financial assistance to churches and other community groups that were providing extensive support to displaced persons during the initial emergency phase.
Direct Relief provided funds to ECD to support the staff and outreach required to provide affordable financial services to address the needs of Hurricane Katrina-affected individuals, families and communities. Financial services include basic checking and saving accounts, bridge loans for emergency needs, housing and business repair, mortgage loans, and small business and automobile loans.