Be Prepared
Sep. 7th, 2005 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grnvixenI am passing on this report of survival in New Orleans from one of the hospitals in New Orleans. They have ok'ed the distribution of this email in the hopes of getting the facts out there. Besides a first-hand account of some of the events in NO I think the writer makes several excellent points we can learn from this event. Names of the staff were stripped but I can vouch for my source.
Thanks for the help. Here are the facts of what happened to me and Children's Hospital of New Orleans. Please distribute to our members and supporters.
Facts:
I am xxxxx at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and Children's Hospital of New Orleans.
I was in the Hospital from Sunday August 28 until Thursday September 1.
Our hospital, Children's Hospital of New Orleans sits on the edge of the levee of the Mississippi river in Uptown New Orleans. We have no armed security.
There were over 700 people in the hospital including patients and families, administration (our CEO and all Vice Presidents) our medical director, several heads of department including me, 2 cardiac surgeons, physicians, residents, nurses and ancillary staff.
We survived the storm and the rising waters from the break in the levee by the lake.
We were well prepared. We had enough fuel, food and water for over a week.
There was access to the city by roads, air and the Mississippi River. We, in fact, had a delivery of fuel the day after the storm but diverted most of it to a near by hospital since we had enough until other reserves arrived.
We were in contact with local, state and federal agencies including FEMA and Homeland Security. We had landlines, Internet access and intermittent cell phone service.
We functioned on generators and I performed several procedures. Our emergency room remained open and our NICU and PICU were operational. Adult and children patients, some ventilated from other facilities, others off the streets began to show up at our hospital.
The day after the storm sporadic looting and violence began all over New Orleans including our area. Most people trapped in the city either at their homes or in the Superdome and Convention Center were not the thugs. They were mostly my patients and their families, my co-workers, my neighbors and friends. They were being dominated by a few ruthless thugs and like us distraught over the lack of help and order.
We had initially planned to provide food and water for any local citizens seeking them from our hospital. We soon observed strangers walking through the halls. We quickly realized that our visitors were threatening the safety of our hospital. After they were escorted out we locked down our hospital doors.
Although we were never attacked, the looters drove by several times and knew we were functioning with electricity and water. They potential for tragedy in our hospital under these circumstances was enormous.
We contacted local police in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, State officials, including Governor Blanco's office, FEMA and Homeland Security asking for armed assistance.
We never got any help. There were three local police officers guarding a supermarket a half-mile down the road and we never got any assistance.
Even though fear and despair was rampant throughout the hospital everybody, I mean everybody, continued to do their jobs while the hospital administration and leadership begged for assistance.
I made several calls and got the most assistance from Jim Brodie, Legislative Affairs Director of the Florida Department of Veteran's Affairs and Fred Chieco, a director of WABC in New York. Both were exhausting measures to get us help. Both these men provided hope for our employees and in my opinion should be regarded as heroes.
On Wednesday morning (8/31) we lost water pressure and therefore running water and full air conditioning capacity. This was the first real threat to our patient's health. Dr. xxxx and Dr. xxxx, pediatric cardiac surgeons and Fellows of the college and I discussed our growing concern for our patients. Dr.xxxxi and our CEO, xxxx quickly agreed evacuation was in order. Our hospital administration worked on obtaining a replacement a pump from our Coast Guard contact from Mr. Chieco. They were also calling law and government officials for assistance for a potential evacuation. It quickly became clear that we were on our own.
Over the next 24 hours we evacuated our entire hospital by whatever means we had. The only outside help we had was from the medical community across the country who accepted our patients and sent helicopters to transport some of the children.
Our evacuation started Wednesday afternoon when Dr. xxx and xxx led a team to Baton Rouge in six ambulances and the back of SUV's. Many of the babies were hand-bag ventilated.
Patients were discharged so that families with transportation could leave the hospital. Those with cars and family who could drive into the city evacuated. As our census decreased staff was evacuated.
As evening approached we learned that National Guard aircraft were at the airport and could fly out most of our remaining ill patients as long as they could get there by 7:00pm. We quickly mobilized a caravan of about 40 cars, trucks and SUV's for the transport to the area. Dr. xxxx, the head of anesthesiology, led a team of physicians, nurses, staff and patient family members to the interstate and airport. On the way back to the hospital they were stopped by Jefferson Parish police inquiring about their destination. Upon learning that they were headed back to children's hospital the officer responded "are you crazy, you are taking your life into your own hands" and asked if they were armed.
Following the evening transport the hospital was down to a few PICU patients and patients who could not get rides. Through the night the PICU patients were evacuated. At 4:00 am a State Trooper arrived at our facility to support a chopper that came in to evacuate a patient. Our PICU staff met the trooper outside the hospital and he informed us that conditions were worsening and recommended that the remainder of the hospital be evacuated at first light. A PICU nurse, through a family member, was able to get two State Trooper Vehicles for the first caravan out. We asked for two additional vehicles for the final caravan after our last babies were to be evacuated. They informed us that they broke rank to come to our hospital and that we were "low priority."
A helicopter from Miami Children's Hospital arrived around 8:00am to transport the last two babies. Dr. XX and I then led the final caravan to I-10. Everyone made it out safely.
Important points:
· Our area and much of the city survived the hurricane and flood.
· There was access to the city.
· Our hospital was well prepared and operational.
· There was no help for anyone in the entire city due to a lack of security.
· Our hospitals were as unprotected as the neighborhoods, the superdome and convention center.
· The thugs were a minority and could have been controlled.
· We are not as secure as we should be.
· Our local, state and federal government were and are not prepared to rapidly respond to a homeland disaster.
· We can and must do better and be prepared for the next disaster, natural or terrorist.
· We must take action
· Our politicians can be heroes by acknowledging the hard truth and speaking out now.
· We must do everything in our power as an organization to see that this happens.
· The only one to help was the medical community and it is clear that as surgeons we must be leaders in times of crisis.
· Our safety and the safety of our country depend on it.
· The world is watching us closely now.
Sincerely,
xxxx
Thanks for the help. Here are the facts of what happened to me and Children's Hospital of New Orleans. Please distribute to our members and supporters.
Facts:
I am xxxxx at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and Children's Hospital of New Orleans.
I was in the Hospital from Sunday August 28 until Thursday September 1.
Our hospital, Children's Hospital of New Orleans sits on the edge of the levee of the Mississippi river in Uptown New Orleans. We have no armed security.
There were over 700 people in the hospital including patients and families, administration (our CEO and all Vice Presidents) our medical director, several heads of department including me, 2 cardiac surgeons, physicians, residents, nurses and ancillary staff.
We survived the storm and the rising waters from the break in the levee by the lake.
We were well prepared. We had enough fuel, food and water for over a week.
There was access to the city by roads, air and the Mississippi River. We, in fact, had a delivery of fuel the day after the storm but diverted most of it to a near by hospital since we had enough until other reserves arrived.
We were in contact with local, state and federal agencies including FEMA and Homeland Security. We had landlines, Internet access and intermittent cell phone service.
We functioned on generators and I performed several procedures. Our emergency room remained open and our NICU and PICU were operational. Adult and children patients, some ventilated from other facilities, others off the streets began to show up at our hospital.
The day after the storm sporadic looting and violence began all over New Orleans including our area. Most people trapped in the city either at their homes or in the Superdome and Convention Center were not the thugs. They were mostly my patients and their families, my co-workers, my neighbors and friends. They were being dominated by a few ruthless thugs and like us distraught over the lack of help and order.
We had initially planned to provide food and water for any local citizens seeking them from our hospital. We soon observed strangers walking through the halls. We quickly realized that our visitors were threatening the safety of our hospital. After they were escorted out we locked down our hospital doors.
Although we were never attacked, the looters drove by several times and knew we were functioning with electricity and water. They potential for tragedy in our hospital under these circumstances was enormous.
We contacted local police in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, State officials, including Governor Blanco's office, FEMA and Homeland Security asking for armed assistance.
We never got any help. There were three local police officers guarding a supermarket a half-mile down the road and we never got any assistance.
Even though fear and despair was rampant throughout the hospital everybody, I mean everybody, continued to do their jobs while the hospital administration and leadership begged for assistance.
I made several calls and got the most assistance from Jim Brodie, Legislative Affairs Director of the Florida Department of Veteran's Affairs and Fred Chieco, a director of WABC in New York. Both were exhausting measures to get us help. Both these men provided hope for our employees and in my opinion should be regarded as heroes.
On Wednesday morning (8/31) we lost water pressure and therefore running water and full air conditioning capacity. This was the first real threat to our patient's health. Dr. xxxx and Dr. xxxx, pediatric cardiac surgeons and Fellows of the college and I discussed our growing concern for our patients. Dr.xxxxi and our CEO, xxxx quickly agreed evacuation was in order. Our hospital administration worked on obtaining a replacement a pump from our Coast Guard contact from Mr. Chieco. They were also calling law and government officials for assistance for a potential evacuation. It quickly became clear that we were on our own.
Over the next 24 hours we evacuated our entire hospital by whatever means we had. The only outside help we had was from the medical community across the country who accepted our patients and sent helicopters to transport some of the children.
Our evacuation started Wednesday afternoon when Dr. xxx and xxx led a team to Baton Rouge in six ambulances and the back of SUV's. Many of the babies were hand-bag ventilated.
Patients were discharged so that families with transportation could leave the hospital. Those with cars and family who could drive into the city evacuated. As our census decreased staff was evacuated.
As evening approached we learned that National Guard aircraft were at the airport and could fly out most of our remaining ill patients as long as they could get there by 7:00pm. We quickly mobilized a caravan of about 40 cars, trucks and SUV's for the transport to the area. Dr. xxxx, the head of anesthesiology, led a team of physicians, nurses, staff and patient family members to the interstate and airport. On the way back to the hospital they were stopped by Jefferson Parish police inquiring about their destination. Upon learning that they were headed back to children's hospital the officer responded "are you crazy, you are taking your life into your own hands" and asked if they were armed.
Following the evening transport the hospital was down to a few PICU patients and patients who could not get rides. Through the night the PICU patients were evacuated. At 4:00 am a State Trooper arrived at our facility to support a chopper that came in to evacuate a patient. Our PICU staff met the trooper outside the hospital and he informed us that conditions were worsening and recommended that the remainder of the hospital be evacuated at first light. A PICU nurse, through a family member, was able to get two State Trooper Vehicles for the first caravan out. We asked for two additional vehicles for the final caravan after our last babies were to be evacuated. They informed us that they broke rank to come to our hospital and that we were "low priority."
A helicopter from Miami Children's Hospital arrived around 8:00am to transport the last two babies. Dr. XX and I then led the final caravan to I-10. Everyone made it out safely.
Important points:
· Our area and much of the city survived the hurricane and flood.
· There was access to the city.
· Our hospital was well prepared and operational.
· There was no help for anyone in the entire city due to a lack of security.
· Our hospitals were as unprotected as the neighborhoods, the superdome and convention center.
· The thugs were a minority and could have been controlled.
· We are not as secure as we should be.
· Our local, state and federal government were and are not prepared to rapidly respond to a homeland disaster.
· We can and must do better and be prepared for the next disaster, natural or terrorist.
· We must take action
· Our politicians can be heroes by acknowledging the hard truth and speaking out now.
· We must do everything in our power as an organization to see that this happens.
· The only one to help was the medical community and it is clear that as surgeons we must be leaders in times of crisis.
· Our safety and the safety of our country depend on it.
· The world is watching us closely now.
Sincerely,
xxxx
