September 9, 2005

Bringing hope to Hurricane Katrina survivors

They soon will be referred to as "HOPEies." That is the nickname that will be given to the brave group of men and women of the MGH who have volunteered to travel to the Gulf Coast to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. This group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and social workers are joining with Project HOPE on a humanitarian aid mission aboard the US Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort. Project HOPE is the same organization that the MGH partnered with earlier this year to bring aid to South Asia in the wake of the tsunami that devastated that part of the world.

The MGH volunteers — many of whom volunteered in the tsunami relief efforts — attended an orientation Sept. 7 in the O'Keeffe Auditorium to learn more about what to bring with them, what their duties will be, what is expected of them and what they may encounter.

Some MGH volunteers at the Project HOPE orientation

Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH, thanked the volunteers for their selfless sacrifice. "From my experience visiting the Project HOPE volunteers back in January on the USNS Mercy, I assure you that this will be one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of your career," he said. "On behalf of the MGH, I want to thank each of you for taking the time out of your busy lives, some of you leaving your families, to provide care for the desperate people of the Gulf Coast."

Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse, and Larry Ronan, MD, MGH primary care physician and director of the Durant Fellowship Program, are the organizers of the MGH volunteers and led the orientation. Karen Holland, RN, from the MGH Emergency Department, will be serving as chief nurse for the mission and is already on the ship.

The MGH volunteers will be deployed as two teams for two-week intervals. The first group will leave this weekend and the second is scheduled to leave Sept. 26.