September 9, 2005

MGH community responds to Hurricane Katrina in many ways

As an institution with a mission to bring healing and hope to patients locally, regionally and throughout the world, the MGH is accustomed to responding to the medical needs of many. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast last week, hospital employees responded with the usual grace, compassion and generosity that the MGH is known for. Before Hurricane Katrina even touched the Gulf Coast, six MGH members of the Massachusetts Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) were deployed to Mississippi to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in response to the impending category 5 hurricane. The MGH team, which left Aug. 30, included two nurses, two social workers, one pharmacist and one security staff member.

Briggs speaks at a press conference at Logan Airport before the ImSuRT team leaves for Baton Rouge.

In the wake of this extreme storm that grew into a full-fledged national disaster, many MGH clinicians prepared to volunteer their time and expertise to travel directly to the heart of the Gulf Coast to bring much-needed medical aid. On Sept. 3, FEMA activated the International Medical Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT), which is led by Susan Briggs, MD, an MGH trauma surgeon. Thirty-seven members of this team — 21 of them from the MGH — left Logan Airport Sept. 4 and traveled to Baton Rouge to provide emergency care to the hurricane victims. In addition, 22 nurses, two social workers, six physicians and one pharmacist have volunteered to be a part of the first of two MGH teams that will travel aboard the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort as a part of Project HOPE — the same relief organization that organized medical personnel to respond to the tsunami crisis earlier this year.

The MGH also has been working with state and local agencies as part of the Metropolitan Medical Response System to ensure that the collective Boston health care system is prepared to accept and provide services for any patients from the hurricane zone who may be transported to the Boston area. And many MGHers have expressed an interest in reaching out to the hurricane victims by donating money, goods, clothing and supplies to the relief effort. Because there are many well-established and reputable organizations that already have begun the process of accepting these types of donations and distributing them where they are most needed, the hospital encourages employees to give to these organizations. The United Way, which the MGH supports each year, is one such organization. Employees also might consider giving to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army or the newly established Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.

As the medical and humanitarian response to this horrific disaster continues, members of the MGH community can receive updates by visiting the MGH homepage at www2.massgeneral.org.