Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T08:02:10.340Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Lessons Learned from a Medical Response Team 45 Days Post Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2019

Jessica M. Gordon*
Affiliation:
College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Deidre Orriola
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Mary Unangst
Affiliation:
Sweet Songs Breastfeeding, Founder
Federico Gordon
Affiliation:
Rico Lab Services, Tampa, FL
Yazmin E. Rodriguez Vellon
Affiliation:
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Jessica M. Gordon, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 22 Tampa, Fl 33612 (e-mail: Jgordon1@health.usf.edu).

Abstract

Objective:

Describe the lived experience of a grassroots, non-governmental disaster medical team (DMT) through a research lens and share practical lessons learned, based on the DMT’s experience to support and inform future response teams.

Methods:

Forty-five days after Hurricane Maria, a non-governmental DMT provided primary medical care via community based pop-up clinics and home visitations in 5 different areas of Puerto Rico. Observational data, photo images, and debriefing notes were collected and documented in the response team’s daily activity log. Field notes were coded using a descriptive coding method and then categorized into 2 domains specific to public health and medical diagnosis.

Results:

Medical aid was provided to nearly 300 (N = 296) residents. Field note observations identified exhaustion related to living conditions and the exacerbation of underlying conditions such as reactive airway diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and depression due to the compounding effects of multiple post-disaster triggers. During home visitations, feelings of sadness and helplessness were identified secondary to natural disaster trauma and current living conditions.

Conclusion:

Our non-governmental DMT displayed similar characteristics demonstrated by federal DMTs post natural disaster. A number of strategic lessons learned emerged from the public health intervention important to future non-governmental DMTs.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Henderson, AK, Lillibridge, SR, Salinas, C, et al. Disaster medical assistance teams: providing health care to a community struck by Hurricane Iniki. Ann Emerg Med. 1994;23(4):726730.10.1016/S0196-0644(94)70306-XCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arziman, I.Field organization and disaster medical assistance teams. Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey. 2015;5(1):1119. doi: 10.5505/1304.7361.2015.7992.Google Scholar
Cota, D. The Associated Press. Puerto Rico to re-examine official death toll from Hurricane Maria. Published December 18, 2017. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/puerto-rico-hurricane-death-toll-1.4454088. Accessed February 9, 2019.Google Scholar
Gellert, GA.Non-governmental organizations in international health: past successes, future challenges. Int J Health Plan Manage. 1996;11(1):1931. PubMed PMID: 10157062.10.1002/(SICI)1099-1751(199601)11:1<19::AID-HPM412>3.0.CO;2-#3.0.CO;2-#>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts Puerto Rico, U.S. Department of Commerce. Published 2018. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/vegabajamunicipiopuertoricopr/PST045218. Accessed March 3, 2019.Google Scholar
Saldaña, J.The coding manual for qualitative researchers. 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications; 2013.Google Scholar
Rodríguez-Díaz, CE.Maria in Puerto Rico: natural disaster in a colonial archipelago. Am J Public Health. 2018;108(1):3032. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krol, DM, Redlener, M, Shario, A, et al. A mobile medical care approach targeting underserved populations in post-hurricane Katrina Mississippi. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2007;18(2):331340.10.1353/hpu.2007.0038CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schwartz, RM, Gillezeau, CN, Liu, B, et al. Longitudinal impact of Hurricane Sandy exposure on mental health symptoms. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(9):E957. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14090957.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oldenburger, D, Baumann, A, Banfield, L.Characteristics of medical teams in disaster. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(2):195200. doi: 10.1017/s1049023x16001461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed