Larry Tucker, R.N., Mobile Field Hospital, Bay St. Louis, Miss.
(Editor's note: At 3:00 p.m. Sunday, a team of five nurses and technicians from Duke University Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital arrived in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, near Gulfport, as part of a larger contingent that brought a 100-bed mobile hospital to the stricken community. The Duke personnel are part of a 100-member medical team drawn from hospitals and EMS agencies across North Carolina that was dispatched to the disaster area Friday night.)
We set up the hospital in a K-Mart Pharmacy parking lot. The general manager of the store has opened the pharmacy to us should they need any supplies or medications. The disaster stockpiles from FEMA have arrived and everything is running smoothly. We are working closely with the local authorities in Bay St. Louis. The search & rescue/recovery teams are heading out into new areas today to search for people who need help. This is a small town with many outlying rural areas that haven't yet been searched. The teams will be alerting residents and other survivors that the mobile hospital is here and ready to assist if people want to go there.
The mobile hospital has access to six helicopters and two local ambulances that are stationed nearby -- the helicopters and ambulances are part of other operations, but have offered to help our group. Two federal disaster medical assistance teams are there with approx. 10 people per team, but those teams will likely deploy to other areas in the next few days. The hospital is protected by the strip mall on one side; a chain link fence in one area, and a debris field of destroyed cars on one side (they were bulldozed to create a barrier for the hospital). The SWAT team is patrolling the area.
We are working triage and helping with a variety of minor injuries (cuts, scrapes, bruising). It was frustrating at first to deal with the confusion and swapping of locations, but now that they are finally set up and seeing patients, spirits are quite high. Everyone really kicked it into gear on Sunday once they were set up and running. We treated over 100 patients yesterday.
We're hoping that it might be possible to send a satellite phone with the next deployment (second round) of the SMAT (State Medical Assistance Team). If not a sat phone, can someone send a Nextel system phone? The people there with Nextel seem to be able to get coverage when they need it. I'm making a request via the RAC (Regional Advisory Committee) system and Duke Trauma. Evidently they have two state issued satellite phones but they are in use around the clock.
Duke, UNC doctors working in Mississippi
We set up the hospital in a K-Mart Pharmacy parking lot. The general manager of the store has opened the pharmacy to us should they need any supplies or medications. The disaster stockpiles from FEMA have arrived and everything is running smoothly. We are working closely with the local authorities in Bay St. Louis. The search & rescue/recovery teams are heading out into new areas today to search for people who need help. This is a small town with many outlying rural areas that haven't yet been searched. The teams will be alerting residents and other survivors that the mobile hospital is here and ready to assist if people want to go there.
The mobile hospital has access to six helicopters and two local ambulances that are stationed nearby -- the helicopters and ambulances are part of other operations, but have offered to help our group. Two federal disaster medical assistance teams are there with approx. 10 people per team, but those teams will likely deploy to other areas in the next few days. The hospital is protected by the strip mall on one side; a chain link fence in one area, and a debris field of destroyed cars on one side (they were bulldozed to create a barrier for the hospital). The SWAT team is patrolling the area.
We are working triage and helping with a variety of minor injuries (cuts, scrapes, bruising). It was frustrating at first to deal with the confusion and swapping of locations, but now that they are finally set up and seeing patients, spirits are quite high. Everyone really kicked it into gear on Sunday once they were set up and running. We treated over 100 patients yesterday.
We're hoping that it might be possible to send a satellite phone with the next deployment (second round) of the SMAT (State Medical Assistance Team). If not a sat phone, can someone send a Nextel system phone? The people there with Nextel seem to be able to get coverage when they need it. I'm making a request via the RAC (Regional Advisory Committee) system and Duke Trauma. Evidently they have two state issued satellite phones but they are in use around the clock.
Duke, UNC doctors working in Mississippi
posted by Duke Medicine at 11:52 AM
19 Comments:
Good work in helping those poor people!
thanks so much for sacrifices you and your team are making, in order to help so many in need.
Thanks so much for keeping us informed. It means a lot to hear real, live information from a colleague, rather than canned newscasts from reporters who are looking, rather than helping.
We're very proud and appreciative of the work that you're doing. Remember to take care of yourselves and that we're thinking of you.
Thank you all for doing something to help and leaving the comfort of your homes. I wish everyone all the best and please know that your contributions are appreciated by your co-workers as well as the people you are helping. A lot of us want to help in more ways than just by donating things and can't.
Please pass the folklowing Animal Rescue Announcement on. Thanks, Deb Stark, Manager, Duke Contract Coordination & Payor Relations:
Hurricane Katrina has dealt a devastating blow to the Gulf Coast and it will
take years for the region to recover. The toll on the human victims is almost
beyond imagining. A toll has also been taken on the animal companions in the
devastation as well.
Many people were forced to leave their homes during and in the aftermath of
the hurricane and couldn’t bring their animal friends with them. We know and
understand the anguish these caregivers are going through and want to assist
in the rescue of these helpless victims.
Best Friends is asking that you contact any friends or relatives that you have
who were required to evacuate the disaster areas. If they have companion
animals that were left behind, please have them contact the Best Friends
Hurricane center:
hurricane@bestfriends.org
(435)644-3965 Ext. 4455
We are compiling a list of animals in need to distribute to people on the
ground rescuing stranded animals.
Please ask them to include:
Contact name
Contact phone numbers
Address where the animals are
Name(s) of animal(s)
Description of animal(s)
We hope that you can help us to ease the minds of those animal caregivers who
have already lost so much. Please pass this message on to as many people as
you can.
Thank you for caring about the animals and the people who love them.
Sincerely,
Kelly Koeller
Network Manager, Resources & Content
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741
435-644-2001 ext 256
kelly@bestfriends.org
www.bestfriends.org
Great work, I'm proud to be a part of Duke and it's compassionate and sacrificial care to our nationwide-community. Thank you for your sacrifice and hard work. I hope to be joining you shortly.
Kevin Broyles, MD, MHSCL
Medical Director, Duke Urgent Care
Thank you for your commitment to help those in need. Your colleagues at Duke are proud of your work, your spirit and the example you set!
Thank you for setting such a wonderful standard for the rest of us still back here in the comfort of Durham. You make us all very proud.
We are keeping all of you in our prayers. There are many of us getting ready to head your way for the second wave. Hang in there and thanks for being brave enough to go first.
Larry, let me know what you need and I will work on it from my end. I am keeping the RAC posted. I have lots of people calling and emailing wanting to join the SMAT-II team. Claudia and I are getting them teed up with their online training. We have all of you as well as those you are helping in our thoughts and prayers.
Ginger Wilkins,RN
Duke RAC Coordinator
Thank you all - this means so much to those in so much need. I am personally touched as my family lives in Mobile, AL. My sister lived in New Orleans (River Ridge parish) until Sunday as a 3rd yr law student. I have some insight as my parents traveled through MS today and were describing the unbelievable conditions in MS. Most of my close friends live along the Gulf Coast (Bay St. Louis, Kiln, Gulfport, Biloxi, Slidell). I have signed up willing to help in whatever capacity. I continue to pray for all of you and for God's strength and protection over you all - thank you again - words can not express the gratitude.
I am trying to get in contact w/the staff at St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis. Catholic Charities recommended this site as requiring volunteers to support their mission. Can you offer any resources (blogs, websites, etc.) that might get me into direct contact with someone at that facility?
Thank-you for your help and support and thank-you for your efforts to support this community.
Dan Quinn
quinndj@adelphia.net
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