Michigan Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski urged health care professionals considering heading south to assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts to coordinate their efforts and not go to affected areas on their own.

Olszewski said federal officials have already received countless offers to provide assistance from local and state response officials of almost every discipline.

"While federal, state, and local officials greatly appreciate the outpouring of support for relief efforts, it is critical that assistance be provided only when it has been requested. Louisiana and Mississippi have a finite capacity to support incoming assistance," Olszewski said. "Requests for assistance are carefully planned so this capacity is not exceeded. Self-deployments and unsolicited offers of assistance from Michigan public health professionals will compromise these efforts if officials on the ground in affected states have health care professionals appear from thin air."

In Michigan, emergency responders are strongly encouraged to work with their local hospital or health department – if employed there – to communicate offers of assistance. Physicians, nurses, and other health care personnel not employed by these facilities can visit the web at https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov to volunteer and assist in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

If an impacted state needs a specific type of assistance, federal officials will issue a request through the Michigan emergency management system.

As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are still requiring that public health professionals heading south be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, and Hepatitis B.

Already, more than 35,000 emergency responders nationwide – including public health professionals – have been sent to Katrina impacted states.