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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 Open the ORCID record for Jessica M. Gordon [Opens in a new window] ,
Deidre Orriola ,
Mary Unangst ,
Federico Gordon  and
Yazmin E. Rodriguez Vellon
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).
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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.

Keywords

disaster medical teamsHurricane Mariapublic healthPuerto Rico
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 28 - 33
Copyright
© 2019 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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References

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