Memorial Regional Hospital House Physician Helps Hurricane Victims in Mississippi
September 2005 — Elio Coradin, MD, recalls medical conditions in his native Dominican Republic, where he practiced family medicine prior to coming to the United States in 1991. He remembers how limited resources required that he reuse latex gloves, syringes and other medical supplies — and how he even had to ask some of his patients to bring their own supplies for certain surgical procedures.
This month, Dr. Coradin again experienced how physicians often must improvise to provide medical care under extremely difficult situations. He was part of a group of volunteers from Christ The Rock Community Church in Cooper City, Florida, who traveled to help devastated Hurricane Katrina victims in Picayune, a southern Mississippi town 49 miles from Gulfport.
With their local hospital, Crosby Memorial Hospital, severely damaged by Katrina, Picayune residents established a makeshift healthcare facility at Resurrection Life Worship Center. When Dr. Coradin arrived on Tuesday, September 6, just one local nurse was handling all medical issues.
Trying Circumstances
"That first day was chaotic," Dr. Coradin says. "Everyone was begging to get care for themselves and their loved ones." He and the nurse worked all day as they waited for more medical assistance to arrive. On the second day, a local physician and a second nurse joined them, as did an Army medic. Personnel from the Army and Navy helped to bring order to the scene, as well.
Over the course of four days, Dr. Coradin and the other health professionals worked tirelessly to address the medical needs of more than 600 people. These included people in desperate need of diabetes, blood pressure and blood-thinning medications; people with hurricane-related wounds and skin infections; and possibly 100 children with fevers and the flu. "These people had nothing," says Dr. Coradin. "Their homes were destroyed, they had no money, and many had very serious medical conditions requiring immediate care. We worked hard to help them." Fortunately, he says, local hospitals provided life-saving supplies such as insulin and tetanus shots, while the local branch of a national pharmacy chain filled prescriptions at no charge.
Prepared to Provide Assistance
Dr. Coradin has been a house physician at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood for more than seven years and has undergone extensive training through Memorial Healthcare System's involvement in national disaster preparedness programs. He used his personal vacation time to volunteer in Mississippi after learning about Christ The Rock Community Church's long-term plans to help the town of Picayune. "So many other organizations provide short-term assistance to others," says Dr. Coradin. "The church is making the commitment to help that community for a full year, and I wanted to be part of that effort."
Dr. Coradin traveled to Picayune with 10 other church volunteers, which included a firefighter, two construction contractors, the administrator of the Christ The Rock church and two paramedics, who were deployed to help in the camp where local residents stayed. They brought with them a convoy of trucks filled with food, water, gasoline, flashlights and basic household supplies, as well as five generators, which they distributed to needy local residents. Memorial Healthcare System also provided some medical supplies, including gauze, tape and suture kits.
"Dr. Coradin has been very involved in Homeland Security training," says Jose del Valle, MD, Dr. Coradin's supervisor and House Physician Coordinator at Memorial Regional Hospital. "He knows how to respond to terrorism, and so much of what he learned can apply to assistance after a natural disaster, too. When he came to me with the idea of going to help in Mississippi, I agreed immediately. It's a national emergency." Dr. del Valle adds that other Memorial physicians contributed by taking over Dr. Coradin's scheduled shifts - even working overtime when needed — while also covering for his own absence following the death of his mother. "They are a very special group of doctors," says Dr. del Valle.
Grateful to Give Back
"Since coming to the United States, I have worked in different hospitals across the country," Dr. Coradin says. "However, I have never seen anything like what we have at Memorial Healthcare System. Everything I need is right here, and the Healthcare System has the vision to treat everyone openly, with no questions asked. I feel such joy in having the opportunity to work in such an environment, and I enjoy the chance to give something back by helping others, too."
Dr. Coradin plans on volunteering again in Picayune when his church makes a return trip to the region in the near future.