The International Seafarers' Center of the Port of Brunswick, Georgia in collaboration with the Southeast Georgia Health System (SGHS) and the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA) School of Nursing offers a range of medical services for mariners and others working in the port. All such services are protected by the rules of medical confidentiality and a strict regard for the privacy and dignity of individuals. Please note the following:

• Triage and Emergency Assessment of Injuries or Illness On request or when need is evident, the ISC will arrange for medical teams to board a vessel to examine and evaluate medical problems. For mariners detained aboard ship but needing medical treatment, the ISC will secure necessary authority to transport seafarers to and from a medical facility.
  
  
• Expedited Emergency Room Care If a mariner requires emergency care or therapy, a special program ensures treatment and return to his or her ship with the a minimum of delay, usually less than three hours.
  
  
• Dental Care If necessary and practicable, emergency dental care can be provided on board a ship. Routine office treatment can also be provided expeditiously. Depending on the nature of the problem, such office care usually requires two-to-three hours ashore.
  
  
• Dockside Infirmary The Colonel's Island Seafarers' facility has an infirmary where minor injuries and other non-critical care can be provided. Not continuously manned, medical personnel will be made available with advanced notice. First aid supplies are also available.
  
  
• Long Term Care If a seafarer is admitted to or held in hospital until after his ship departs, the ISC will remain in contact to assist the mariner in notifying family, dealing with billing, obtaining temporary housing after discharge, and other issues.
  
  
• Health Screening and Preventive Care The Southeast Georgia Health System and the Nursing School of the College of Coastal Georgia offer individual mariners free, private and confidential examinations and tests to detect a range of common health problems (cardiovascular, respiratory, blood chemistry, etc.). Such information is conveyed to the individual seafarer in a sealed envelope for his or her use alone. Anonymous duplicate copies are retained by the ISC only for statistical correlation .The goals of the program are early detection and prevention of potential health risks among seafarers and the study of occupational health issues. Clinics are held at published hours and screening may be provided outside clinic hours if requested. When requested in advance, medical staff can conduct screenings aboard any vessel whose crew cannot leave the ship. Individually identifiable records are never retained nor released to an unauthorized third party.
  
  
• Ask-a-Nurse Program Occasionally, mariners experience health issues but are unsure of their importance or of appropriate action. Through the ISC, any seafarers in the Port of Brunswick may consult a registered nurse-clinician about health concerns (the nurse-clinician may call upon a physician for advice and recommendations). All such inquiries are treated with strict confidentiality. We hope to extend this program for the use of vessels at sea or in other ports. Such a global network may not be available for several more years.
  
  
• On-Board Medical Chests Medical chests carried aboard vessels may be inadequate or depleted by use. Consulting with ER and Trauma Physicians, the ISC and SGHS developed a checklist of essential materials and equipment for medical emergencies at sea. Upon request, ISC will inventory a ship's emergency medical supplies and assist in replenishing or augmenting needed supplies.
  
  
• Added health maintenance, preventive care and medical treatment projects are presently in the planning stage but not sufficiently advanced to llist in this notice. Your experience and knowledge are invaluable in planning such programs. Suggestions for the improvement of mariners' physical health and well-being while in the Port of Brunswick may be sent to:
  
  The Maritime Health and Wellness Task Force - FAX (912) 267-7797