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disasterlogistics — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:04:08 CST

A discussion on our Facebook web page today revealed a need for me to more directly explain the needs in the Philippines we are currently seeking support for and – more specifically – how YOU can become directly involved in our effort. The following is some of that discussion. Please feel free to share your comments and or questions. For the greater good,
Randy

Randy Roberson said: over 1000 have been infected and nearly 100 have died in Manila (Philippines) from Leptospirosis as a result of wading in contaminated flood waters. The problems just seem to get worse for the disaster-stricken nation.

Sue said: So friend Randy, how do you keep your spirits going daily when you witness all this tragedy?? I get the part of the Sovereignty of God, but some days doesn't it just make you want to lay prostrate on the ground and sob??

Randy Roberson said: Yes it does (and today is one of those days). The really tough part is the lack of interest so many in our society (USA) show. If I post up some silly story everyone and their brother chimes in. But when I talk about the terrible need in the developing world or people suffering through a disaster in a country that doesn't have the ability to respond the silence is deafening. I am not so much perplexed by these individuals as I am our society as a whole. The really depressing part here is that - collectively - we have a very tough time seeing past our own noses, and/or are caught up trying to live up to the ideals we see on TV.
OK, there's my complaining for the day. Now back to work.

Sue said: Sadly I can see a few "whys".......ready? (and yes, remember who they are coming from) When you put up something silly, it’s easy to respond to, its a NO BRAINER!
When you post this info, even I wonder: where do I fit in, what can I do to make a difference, what should I do???.......there is never an easy answer, it’s overwhelming
:-( So maybe give us some "pointers" of what to do's when you put up these stats?? And I will encourage you to complain, so I will "get it." Also :-) Remember: Laymen's terms!
Ok, get back up on your soap box and do what you do best!

Randy Roberson By the way... to answer your question more directly (without the complaints) here a good quote that sums it all up: "If you dwell on how stressed you are, or how tired, or how sick or overwhelmed, you're done. You're dwelling on your empty tank. But if, on those depleted days, you consciously focus on God’s inexhaustible strength, God’s unlimited power, you will be able to keep driving when you thought you couldn't go another mile."

Gail said: I believe I am guilty of that. Sometimes I just don't know how to respond. It seems too overwhelming. Where do you start?

Randy Roberson said: There are certainly many needs and - as a result - many ways to help. However, over the past 13 years I have performed needs assessments in disaster after disaster. My training in how to do these assessments was focused simply on this: Look for areas of need going unmet, then set up programs to meet those needs and do the ground-work to make sure every bit of the donation gets directly to the final point of need.

In disaster after disaster, there was always a need for 3 basic things,
1. Mobile medical resources (to make up for huge numbers of people in need and a limited or even destroyed medical infrastructure)

2. Water Purification. In floods and earthquakes there are ALWAYS inflows of sewage into drinking water systems. As such huge numbers of those who survive the initial disaster start to get sick and often many die. Contaminated water is also one of the two biggest killers in our world today. This is only made worse in disasters.

3. Communications. Communications infrastructure - if it existed to begin with - if often damaged or destroyed. As such those responding to and/or managing the disaster recovery efforts seldom have any information on what is going on in various effected areas.

These 3 areas of need are why I have developed and use the tools I constantly talk about on my web site at www.telehelp.org. (mobile telemedicine clinics, water purification systems and global satellite communications).

Additionally, establishing solid relationships with people who can supply and move needed medical and other emergency supplies and equipment is very important. You may remember that back in February we delivered over a quarter million dollars in medical supplies and equipment to rural clinics in the Philippines. This equipment was donated. All we had to do was pay to have it shipped (a total of $13k). Not a bad leveraging of donated monies.

Now in the Philippines, the ground floors of several hospitals have been destroyed as a result of the floods. At the same time, I have access to multiple 40' cargo containers of critically needed supplies and equipment. Again, all I need to do is find support for the shipping costs and get there on the ground to set up the logistics of how to ensure these supplies get to their final destination without anything missing. That's what I do. That's what Dr. Larry Ward trained me to do. And that is what is needed in the Philippines today.

There is also a unique opportunity to have further meetings with government officials there (like i did on my last trip) in an effort to establish better communications and telemedicine infrastructures. These can save many lives and provide profound benefit in future disasters (not to mention the current one).

So what are the numbers?

It will require only approximately $8k to do all the ground work and approximately $15k for each 40' container to be shipped there. Each of these containers will have from $300k to $500k worth of equipment and supplies inside. So once again we can take your donations and flex them into profound impact, multiplying each dollar many times over.

All I need to do is get the right people or groups to pay attention and help us help others. We can also show how every penny is spent and - like our last shipment - provide photos, video and reports direct from the field showing the positive impact these donations are making. (CLICK HERE) to see the life-saving impact this last shipment has made and is making to this day.

We just need to get this information to the right people.
CAN YOU HELP US GET THIS INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP?

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE PAYABLE TO "HELP" and mailed to:
HELP
P.O. Box 58
Payson, AZ 85547 USA

A CRY FOR HELP

This is the story of a 1 year 2 month old boy born to an 18 year old mother on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. This report/plea for assistance came in recently from a Philippine Physician at one of the remote rural clinics HELP visited during "Needs Assessment" operations recently.
Learn how you can help at the end of this story.

One afternoon on a very busy consultation day at the rural health unit, one little fellow carried by a young lady caught my attention. I was stunned to see a little boy who looked like a 75 year old man, weak and in respiratory distress. Upon seeing the patient…… CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

Purchase Telemedicine Tools for Your Organization or for HELP

OUR TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS OUR MISSION

Telemedicine - New Technology Addressing Growing Needs

Bringing advanced specialist and diagnostic oversight from metro hospitals to rural clinics at the click of a button
Provides advanced life support to EMT & Paramedic teams in the field
Remote patient monitroring
Provides teaching capabilities to medical staff in multiple locations simultaneously
Provides counseling and other services as well as medical all in a "virtual reality"
Real Time disease migration and mitigation monitoring

What is Telemedicine?

Real-time medical networking and diagnostics.
Telemedicine utilizes broadband satellite communications, the Internet and cellular technologies to allow field personnel in real-time to diagnose critical patient information with the assistance of medical specialist anywhere in the world. The output of electronic stethoscopes, ultrasound imagery and other medical equipment are sent instantaneous to a staff of collaborating doctors. Additionally, the collaborating medical professional can see and speak to patients half a world away.

How does HELP use telemedicine?

HELP has proven this effect from a HELP mobile medical clinic in the remotest rural areas of a tsunami relief camp in India (9 hour train ride from the nearest airport) via satellite to medical professionals in Arizona and Florida. This was done live - via the web - with the physicians speaking - through local interpreters - to the patients and hearing their digital heart and lung sounds As a result, doctors were able to develop accurate diagnosis and through the HELP medical teams provide treatment to tsunami victims who still to this day, have no other medical care available to them.

Hundreds pleaded with us for help the first afternoon in one of numerous clinics conducted by HELP during their most recent visit.
“It is always a challenge to triage large numbers like this as we can only afford to get the most extreme cases in front of doctors via the satellite link we were paying $13 per minute to use,” said HELP President Randy Roberson. “We will return again soon and bring more badly needed medicines and telemedice resources,” he added.
HELP also has ongoing aid efforts in Africa with numerous requests from other locations around the world. Out ability to respond to these - as well as the next disaster - depends on the assistance from people like you.

"Doc-in-a-Box" H.E.L.P. Mobile Medical Clinics

These clinic containers are a retrofitted 20' cargo container. They provide complete satellite and/or cellular/broadband communications capabilities from virtually anywhere in the world, back to medical and logistical management/monitoring facilities. Advanced medical support to the remotest regions of our planet.

HELP's "Bring 'Em Back Pack

In collaboration with Interactive Medical Solutions LLC, HELP is currently working on the deployment of a solar powered back pack to all 240 congressional districts of the Philippines. These packs will provide satellite communications, numerous patient diagnostic devices (EKG, Pulse Oximeter, Digital Steth, Otoscopes and more) patient databases, disaster management interfaces and much more. Cutting edge technology making a real difference in the fight against age-old human challenges.

HELP Sends Medical Supplies to Congo

HELP sent desperately needed ostomy supplies to female victims of brutality
and gang-rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other Stuff

HELP Web Site (Complete redesigned coming soon!)
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Honors and Awards:

Society for New Communications Research - Award of Excellence
and
New Communications Review

Net Squared N2Y2 - Featured Project

Telemedicine?

disasterlogistics — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:51:10 CDT

Real-time medical networking and diagnostics.

Telemedicine utilizes broadband satellite communications, the Internet and cellular technologies to allow field personnel in real-time to diagnose critical patient information with the assistance of medical specialist anywhere in the world. The output of electronic stethoscopes,ultrasound imagery and other medical equipment are sent instantaneous to a staff of collaborating doctors. Additionally, the collaborating medical professional can see and speak to patients half a world away.

As a result, doctors were able to develop accurate diagnosis and through the HELP medical teams provide treatment to tsunami victims who still to this day, have no other medical care available to them. Hundreds pleaded with us for help the fi rst afternoon in one of numerous clinics conducted by HELPduring their most recent visit. “It is always a challenge to triage large numbers like this as we can only afford to get the most extreme cases in front of doctors via the satellite link we were paying $13 per minute to use,” said HELP President Randy Roberson. “We will return again soon and bring more badly needed medicines and telemedice resources,” he added.

HELP's Doc-In-A-Box Unveiled at U.S. Disaster Exercise Connecting hospitals, specialists and disaster victims

HELP's much anticipated mobile telemedicine clinic known as "Doc-in-a-Box" was unveiled during Operations "Golden Phoenix" and "Freedom's Ring" recently. The 20'x8' cargo container retrofitted as a mobile medical clinic is able to be deployed nearly anywhere in the world. For this exercise it was used in a joint military and civilian disaster exercise conducted in California and Arizona July 23-25.

The exercise simulated a massive 8.0 earthquake in the Los Angeles basin area. If such an earthquake were to hit massive numbers of people would be expected to evacuate into Arizona. As such emergency professionals at the federal, state, county, municipal levels and other NGOs studied many aspects of managing such a mass migration of people. In addition they tested many communication and collaboration tools necessary to assist the millions of people who might displaced when such a scenario becomes reality.

HELP teams tested Doc-in-a-Box communications and telemedicine links to hospitals, physicians and disaster management locations. HELP President Randy Roberson was asked to help lead the Arizona side of the study at Arizona State University. "This was a great opportunity to not only test our telemedicine network and other technical systems, but it was also a fantastic chance to train our EMTs and introduce members of our physicians network to a reality-based disaster exercise," Roberson said. "In addition I am very encouraged by the warm cooperation and ongoing synergy at Arizona State University," he added. "This looks like a relationship that can make a difference not only in Arizona emergencies, but also around the world."

HELP Emergency Medical Technicians connected via telemedicine link to physicians around Arizona simulating the types of emergency medical scenarios present in disasters. These included connecting to OBDr. Cynthia Booth in Northern Arizona and Neonatal Specialist Dr. James Zozobrado at Chandler Regional Medical Center (central Arizona) who each assisted in a mock emergency delivery.
When HELPEMT Charles "Chuz" Shillingburg was told to take a break and lie down on the exam table because he was having a mock heart attack (another very real potential scenario in disasters) a quick connection to Cardiologist Dr. Gopi Cherukuri at Good Samaritan Hospital Phoenix was made. EMT Phyllis "Philly" Haddon reacted quickly hooking up the 12 lead EKG, pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff to relay important vital sign information to the cardiologist.
Dr. Alan Michels (HELP's Medical Programs Advisor and President of Interactive Medical Solutions) played a lead roll in establishing telemedical connectivity to various hospital networks and physicians as well as providing oversight to the entire medical exercise. An expert team from Global Media also provided critical assistance in communications both at the Doc-in-a-Box as well as numerous location around Phoenix.
Global Media also provided the Telepathology Lab for use in the Doc-in-a-Box during this exercise. This offered HELP the capability to provide complete digital microscopy and macroscopy capabilities which can also be important tools in disasters.
The entire exercise was monitored at ASU's Decision Theater. "This ultra high tech tool is exactly what emergency managers need to not only maintain excellent situational awareness, but also to foster the communication and collaboration that is so tremendously vital to truly effective disaster management," Roberson said. (Click here to download ASU PDF of the event)
Tools offered for various Doc-in-a-Box configurations/applications.

Ear, Nose & Throat Scopes
Digital Stethoscope
12 lead EKG
Pulse Oximeter
Spirometer
Retina Scan
Physician Remote Controllable Cameras
Satellite Communications
Cellular Communications
WiFi Communications
Patient Database
Patient Wristband Printer
Disaster Management Database
Digital Ultrasound
Digital Xray
IV Pump
Heart Defibrillator
Blood Glucose Sensor
Basic Trauma / ER Supplies
Neonatal Sensors

World Water & Solar Technologies provided a solar power plant (photo left) for the Doc-in-a-Box. While their unit provides a full 3kw of continuous power it can also pump and purifies over 30,000 gallons of water per day. With water purification being another of HELP's main focal areas, plans are to partner with WW&ST on not only solar power supplies for our clinics but also work together on larger water purification projects in Africa and beyond.
HELP has current requests for Doc-in-a-Box in Africa, India, the Philippines and Iraq. Ongoing discussions with other aid agencies, corporations and philanthropic interests are promising but costs are significant and - as such - WENEEDYOURHELP to bring this live-saving tool to people in areas of great need. Will YOU help US help THEM?

Turkey Earthquake: 45,000 dead, 150,000 injured and 3,000,000 homeless. HELP was there answering the cry for safe water. HELP President Randy Roberson partnered with Mentor and close friend Dr. Larry Ward (White House Ambassador to the Hungry World) for what would become Ward’s last disaster in over 40 years of humanitarian service.

Africa Hurricane Relief - Mozambique grass hut villages were decimated by a 30 foot tall wall of water. HELP brought medicine, doctors and fresh water systems via helicopter to remote villages.

El Salvador Earthquake - Medical and Water Purification Projects on the mainland and on remote islands as well. HELP also supplied mobile medical clinics and food distribution programs, bringing life saving relief to thousands.

Kosovo War Refugee Camp - Logistical oversight in a cooperative effort with other Governmental and Non-Governmental agencies to manage relief camp with 10,000 Kosovo refugees who fled across the Kosovo boarder into Albania.

Colombia Earthquake - From the highland jungles of Armenia Colombia to the Agua De Dios Leper Colony HELP was there. HELP organized mobile medical clinics, food distribution and disease control programs as well as much needed water purification projects.

Who is HELP?

disasterlogistics — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:31:03 CDT

About Us

HELP is a non profit humanitarian relief organization devoted to meeting the needs of the many victims of natural and man-made disasters on a global basis. Our founder, Randy Roberson, has many years of training and experience in disaster response around the globe. His mentor was the late Dr. Larry Ward (pictured at left). Larry was named "White House Ambassador to the Hungry World" by former US President Ronald Regan and - for over 4 decades - was considered a leading international expert in the field of humanitarian relief. From the earthquake ravaged neighborhoods of Colombia, El Salvador and Turkey, to the tragedy of floods, poverty and AIDS in Africa, to the heartbreaking refugee camps during the Kosovo war, to famine in India and Bangladesh - and on the Tsunami devastated shores of Southeast Asia and India, HELP has been there offering a cup of cool water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, medicine to the wounded and shelter to the homeless.

All without regard for race, religion or creed and with no strings attached. Our “Hand Up Not A Hand Out” approach to relief and development ensure true effectiveness while also offering true accountability.

HELP President RandyRoberson 2007