In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, health professionals from several AFT Healthcare locals are preparing to make their way down to the Gulf Coast region to lend a hand.

These volunteers are among hundreds of healthcare workers who are heeding the call of the federal government and other organizations in need of skilled healthcare professionals in the hardest hit areas of the Gulf region.

AFT Healthcare members will work with organizations like the American Red Cross to provide healthcare, first aid and casework for Hurricane Katrina victims who are staying in disaster relief shelters.

Anne Goldman, special representative for the Federation of Nurses/United Federation of Teachers, says her union has negotiated with the Visiting Nurse Service to send two nurses at a time for 14 days. The nurses will continue to earn their salary while they are away. The union is currently negotiating similar deals with other hospitals where members have expressed an interest in volunteering.

The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals expects to send nearly 50 members who work at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt., to the Gulf Coast this month through the Red Cross. The nurses are using a provision in their contract to request "volunteering leave" that can be paid time or unpaid time. There are also health professionals volunteering from locals in Connecticut and New Jersey.

The local unions are working with the AFT's health and safety department to put together kits that include fact sheets on infectious diseases, as well as gloves, hand sanitizer, disposable masks and aprons, water bottles, and union scrub tops. AFT Healthcare is also working with its locals and affiliates to maintain and share a roster of members who volunteer so they can connect with one another during their deployment.