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As part of the response to Hurricane Katrina, a team of UNC Hospitals' physicians and staff left Friday, Sept. 2 to travel to the Gulf Coast as part of the MidCarolina Trauma RAC's State Medical Assistance Team II. The team from UNC Hospitals is comprised of: Christine Clark, RN; Randy Kearns; Preston "Chip" Rich, MD; Michele Rudisill, RN; Ed Wilson, RN; Ben Zarzaur, MD; and Janet Young, MD. A second team from UNC Hospitals left Sept. 9 to relieve the first group of volunteers. The second team to help staff the K-Mart Klinic in Waveland, Miss., is comprised of: Alberto Bonifacio, RN; Joe Manese, Radiology Tech; Peter Milano, 5th year surgical resident; Andrew Millager, Pharmacist; Jim Rawlings, Pastoral Care; Tina Schade-Willis, MD; Renae Stafford, Trauma Attending Surgeon; Jim Starlin, Air Care Communications; and Wes Wallace, MD., attending, emergency medicine.

Friday, September 02, 2005

We have made it to Charlotte, near CMC at the Medic facility. There are about 70 of us here, from all walks of life. We've been through the cattle herding process, having received new "Hurricane Katrina" I.D.'s. I was immunized against HepA and Tetanus. For the record, I got the last hepA dose, so if Ben gets sick it'll be my fault. No worries, though, because we also were oriented to our new home, MED-1. An incredible facility with two OR's, ICU beds, and room for 110 patients in the attached tent facility. We are travelling with our own SWAT team to keep us safe. My new best friends. MED-1 has the ability to do just about everything from general surgery to thoracic. Fully loaded - from complete OR sets, an autoclave, ultrasound, digital X-ray and satellite directed communications. There are 6 docs - Ben, myself, an Orthopedic traumatologist, an anesthesiologist, and 2 EM docs. Lots of nurses, EMT's PharmD's - the works. We're likely heading to a staging facility in Baton Rouge, but we're not sure. After seeing the facilities, meeting the people involved, and bearing witness to this incredible effort, Ben and I are very proud to be a part of this.

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