April 2012 marks the one year anniversary of devastating tornadoes and floods that spanned from the Midwest through the Southeast. The storms resulted in hundreds of injuries, mass structural damage, forced closures of health facilities, and the displacement of many families.

Safety net clinics were a key source of support to communities impacted by the storms. Direct Relief provided emergency shipments to more than 38 facilities last year. Five of these facilities, located in areas with the highest impact, received cash grants from Direct Relief. Here is an update on where these safety net clinics are now, one year post storms:

• Katy Trail Community Health, Sedalia, MO – is actively involved in community response plans and is committed to remaining open and providing services to patients during any emergency. The grant they received from Direct Relief will help with the purchase and installation of a generator so they can continue operations during disasters. In January 2012, Katy Trail received national recognition for being a patient-centered medical home.
• Community Health Clinic of Joplin, Joplin, MO – was in the center of tornado activity. They supported their community and helped distribute tetanus vaccinations to those involved in debris cleanup. The grant they received will enable them to provide more mental health services to storm survivors.
• ACCESS Family Care, Neosho, MO – supported an estimated 15,000 people impacted by tornados and set up temporary care sites where they provided wound-care supplies, medications, and personal care items. The grant they received helped to outfit and staff a mobile dental unit that provides full-service dental care to the area’s underserved. ACCESS recently opened a new clinic site to extend care in their community.
• SEMO Health Network, New Madrid, MO – has a committed emergency response outreach team that supported their community, surrounding counties, and other health facilities during the storms in 2011 and 2012. Grant funds helped purchase a mobile medical unit equipped with supplies so they can provide clinical services to patients during a disaster.
• Community Health and Emergency Services (CHESI), Cairo, IL – was hit hard by flooding last fall, forcing them to temporarily close their nursing home. This year, they supported people impacted by the tornado in Harrisburg and provided medical supplies and support to nearby shelters. The grant they received helped them to maintain operations post flooding. CHESI’s network of 11 sites is committed to supporting their patients and surrounding communities.