By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News Editor
December 7, 2007

“Sharps containers?”

“Got it.”

Nurse Jan Loomis answered her supply guy, Brian Davis, in Thursday’s last-minute mental checklist in the lobby of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital.

A supply of hypodermic needles — the “sharps” — were among the items double- and triple-checked by Loomis.

Moments later, Loomis and two other PHRMH employees boarded the “Mission in Motion” bus and headed to Vernonia, the one-doctor Washington County town devastated by floods this week.

It was the first time the Mission in Motion van is being deployed for an emergency relief mission; its regular rounds as Mobile Health Unit to rural Hood River County are on hold until at least Tuesday (details below.)

When Providence Medical Group (PMG) in Vernonia was washed out by the recent storm; Providence loaded up the Mission van and sent it to Vernonia with supplies including water, wound care kits, oxygen, gauze, antibiotics, pain relief medicine, thermometers and probes and other diagnostic equipment, and feminine products.

The last item was one of the things Loomis thought of at the last minute as she conferred with Davis, who is materials manager. Medical assistant Silvia Ochoa, who also went to Vernonia, and Loomis hurried into the supply room and brought out extra Kotex, Huggies, swabs, and other paper products.

The third member of the team is Bill Balmer, paramedic, who drove the van.

“Take the second exit to Vernonia, off Highway 26,” recommended Maria Elena Castro to Balmer. Castro, the community outreach manager for PHRMH, confirmed for Loomis and the team at the last minute that the team’s phones and laptops would be connected the whole time via ATT Wireless.

Loomis said she was uncertain what to expect until they reached Vernonia. Davis said the bus is equipped with plenty of first aid supplies, and the Providence regional supply center near Portland will also be able to help the Hood River team restock. (Meanwhile, he put in a rush order to the regional center to replace the supplies he took off his own shelves.)

Loomis said her initial task would be to connect with Vernonia Command Dr. John Jui, then report back to Hood River. The team is working with Dr. Phyllis Gilmore of PMG, the only physician in Vernonia. Gilmore is working out of a temporary clinic set up in cooperation with the National Guard at the City Fire Hall.

The Mission in Motion bus will provide added space for medical care. Set up in 2005 to assist rural Hood River County residents with affordable health care access; it contains four beds, and room for several people to be examined at a time, along with an exterior canopy.

“What we need there most are doctors,” said Loomis.

As she left did not know how many physicians would be on hand; she said those that had helped in Vernonia were “exhausted” after 72 hours serving hundreds of local residents who lost their homes and had little or no access to food, water, shelter, or communications.

Loomis is a member of the Disaster Medical Assistance Team and the National Disaster Medical System under FEMA.

Helping Vernonia means a great deal personally to Davis, who has family in the community.

“This hospital helping out anywhere is just awesome. I’m really glad we are able to do this,” Davis said.

Monday — Parkdale Fire Department.

The unit will be back on line Tuesday unless circumstances change due to the emergency. Here is the schedule:

Dec 11 — Odell Fire Department, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dec 12 — Cascade Locks, Cascade Market, 11 to 6

Dec. 13 — Pine Grove, 1 to 2 p.m., Pine Grove Fire Department; 2:30 to 6 p.m. at Pine Grove Elementary.

Dec. 14 — Cascade Locks, Cascade Market 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.