We’re in Lafayette at the Heymann Center for performing arts – it’s where we are camping out. We’re sleeping on a stage (90 of us) at the art center which is serving as our base of operations – we have been allowed to use it through the month of October.
Our main mission is to send out clinical teams to other shelters to assess and treat folks who are in those shelters and we are taking care of special needs evacuees from around the State at the Art Center which is also serving as a shelter. We are also starting to staff Public Health Clinics as their normal staff are burned out and just going home.
We’ve also vaccinated about 1100 people at the Cajun Dome. Working very long days (about 18 hrs each) but the work is gratifying. Am scheduled to return home on Tuesday night.
Now we’re dealing with the hurricane Rita – it may cause us to relocate everyone in our shelter to Northern Louisiana (Monroe) and that will probably happen on Thursday (tomorrow). We’re also ready to evacuate ourselves, although that is very unlikely. Take care and I’ll call you once I’m back in town. I won’t be going back to work until Friday, Sep 30.