As the medical director for this team I know full well that our effectiveness is dependant on several things.

1) I need to be sure that our team is safe.
2) I need to sure that we have the resources that we need to do our job or I need to work with the team to help them come up with creative ways to use the resources we have.
3) I need to be sure that we have adequate communications both internally and externally.
4) I need to be sure that I understand how we fit into the bigger picture.
5) I need to constantly assess how we are doing and look to the future with a willingness to adjust the plan based on feedback from the team and others.

The last point actually impacts the other three significantly. Networking is key during disasters. The strength of a disaster response in general has to do with how well the various resources cooperate. During this trip I introduced mind-mapping software called Mindmiester. This software allows us to track relationships in a visual format that will help our team get things done more effectively and more efficiently. We have found that the iPhone has been a very powerful and dependable communications tool her in Haiti. The folks at Mindmeister have an app that allows us to edit our map on the fly. All of us on the team can share the same map. The team back in the US can also see how the network is expanding. I anticipate that this type of technology will become more and more important as we respond to disasters in the future.