Healthcare delivery after Florence
September 21st, 2018“When Atrium Health’s mobile hospital unit arrived into Burgaw, N.C., on Tuesday from its home-base in Charlotte, residents of the rural area had been without medical care for days in the wake of Hurricane Florence. They lined up for help even as the medical team was setting up in a Family Dollar parking lot.
The area’s Pender Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital, was evacuated ahead of the storm and remained closed because of flooding. The nearest open hospital sat at least 50 miles to the south in Wilmington, N.C., a city unreachable by ground transportation after rising floodwaters cut if off from the rest of the state.
Within 18 hours Atrium Health’s Med-1 mobile hospital team of 32 physicians, nurses and other clinicians had treated more than 50 patients, many with chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes. Their conditions had been exacerbated by the stress of the hurricane, loss of electricity or homes and the lack of medical care. Others suffered minor injuries that turned major after becoming infected by unclean water and debris…..Hospitals prepared extensively for the hurricane by stocking up on fuel, water, food and medical supplies as part of emergency plans that had been tested and honed by past disasters.
Many had evacuated patients well enough to be moved to make room for the injured they expected to see after the storm.
Others had sheltered in place—their nurses, physicians, management and other essential staff working in shifts day after day to care for their communities. Once the winds subsided, hospitals worked with their suppliers to get additional food, water and medicine before flooding became worse……”