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Contact: Christine Pashley
503 494-8231
pashleyc@ohsu.edu

OREGON DISASTER MEDICAL TEAM MEMBERS MEET DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY DURING HIS VISIT TO PORTLAND

PORTLAND, Ore -- Representatives from the Oregon Disaster Medical Assistance Team (ODMT) welcomed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge, on his visit to Portland on April 5, 2004. Ridge highlighted port security, first-response efforts, and increased federal, state and local partnerships. A photo of the meeting is at http://www.ohsu.edu

The ODMT is a Level I national Disaster Medical Assistance Team of health care providers who volunteer to rapidly respond to disasters around the United States. The nonprofit team consists of more than 100 volunteers from Oregon and southwest Washington. The team plans, trains and responds to provide relief health care services when local, county and mutual aid reserves are overwhelmed due to a mass casualty incident or disaster event. The team is the Disaster Medical Assistance Team representing Oregon in the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). The NDMS serves under the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the Department of Homeland Security.

OHSU is the primary institutional sponsor for the team and supports several of its staff, who are volunteer members. Two OHSU emergency medicine faculty and leaders of the ODMT who met Ridge in person during his visit were Jon Jui, M.D., and Helen Miller, M.D.

Hometowns for ODMT members in the photo with Ridge:
M. Peggy Peirson (Philomath, Ore.)
Raelene Jarvis, R.N. (Vancouver, Wash.)
Jonathan Jui, M.D. (Wilsonville, Ore.)
Helen Miller, M.D. (Eugene, Ore.)
Colleen Grunow (Brush Prairie, Wash.)
Ralph Garono (Corvallis, Ore.)
Steve Myren (Boardman, Ore.)

For more information about the ODMT, visit its Web site at http://www.odmt.org