Med 1 departs

Yesterday Med One departed for Charlotte around 4AM, with a brief burst of lights and sirens on departure. They shut down and broke down their facility over about 18hours the day before departure. The SMAT teams continue to provide care from 8-4 every day, as well as after hours for true emergencies. The patient volume is dropping, as expected, and our demob plan has been approved. We will be shutting down the clinic on Oct 22, and be packed up and out of here shortly thereafter. As Holli Hoffman said last night, we came in the summer and are leaving in the fall. While it can get quite hot on the tarmac during the day, it is very cool in the evening and in the early mornings.

Went down to Hancock Medical Center yesterday and met their marketing director and their CEO. They have done an amazing amount of work since the hurricane; all the sheet rock is bein g replaced on the first level--you can see how high the water went based on the level at which the sheet rock is ripped out. People coming to the meeting got lost on the first level because they couldn't see through the walls across the hospital for the first time! The ED is up and running with about 6-8 beds; not their full complement--they are seeing about 2/3 their average census to date with not as many beds, and not a fully trained ED-experienced staff. We may be able to support them a bit down there as our census drops. The Air Guard EMED unit will stay to provide them with support for their decreased services until Hancock is back on its functional feet. Hancock is hoping to have inpatient capabilities by the end of October. The amount of debris in front of the hospital is staggering. There are "stores" located on the first floor for staff and patients to find clothes, necessities, etc. People are still very overwhelmed, but each definitely react in their own way.

While this footprint here continued to grow and mature as the deployment continued, the surrounding area has not. Cars have been moved; the mud has rinsed away so some green is visible; but little building or trailers have moved in. The statement was made yesterday at our meeting that the "federal govt is moving out", and looking around, I have a hard time understanding how things are ready for that. The parking lot here will probably be prime real estate once we pull out--flat, clean, and near major roads.

Chris