WHAT'S
NEW AT RFGH
Local Physician
Returns from Mission in Hurricane Strike Zone
Redington-Fairview
Welcomes New Community Health Educator
LOCAL
PHYSICIAN RETURNS FROM MISSION IN HURRICAN
STRIKE ZONE
 No
one was sure where Hurricane Gustav would
hit land, or the extent of damage it would
cause, but the lessons learned from Katrina
were still fresh in everyone's mind, and state
and federal agencies were ready.
Local doctor, Bruce Waite, DO, of Redington OB/GYN,
a member of a federal Disaster Medical Assistance
Team (DMAT), received his call to duty and flew
out of the Portland airport for Denton, TX the
morning of August 29. From there, Dr. Waite’s
team was quickly mobilized and sent to Marshall,
TX to set up a Federal Medical Station in a local
university gymnasium. The Federal Medical Station
was established to care for special needs patients
who had been evacuated from other gulf coast areas
to Marshall. Once the set up was complete they
received patients provided medical care for the
first 48 hours with another DMAT team until Public
Health Services arrived and took over operations.
 “Our
team received a unit citation from the National
Guard for our efforts in Marshall,” said
Dr. Waite. “It was a surprise to us all,
we had never heard of that happening before.”
Dr. Waite's DMAT team then waited in Marshall
to see where they would be needed next. No one
knew if they would be sent home, or on another
mission elsewhere in the gulf coast. Then notice
of their next mission came in.
The local hospital in Houma, Louisiana had been
severely damaged during the hurricane, and the
evacuees would soon be returning to their homes
in the area. A DMAT team was needed to set up
temporary medical facilities until the hospital
could open again.
“This was a true DMAT mission,” said
Dr. Waite. “Our team of providers convoyed
to the area along with our trucks loaded with
medical supplies and tents. We set up a triage
tent and several examination and treatment tents
in the parking lot of an abandoned Winn-Dixie
Supermarket.”
The DMAT team worked quickly, setting up the
morning of September 6 and started seeing patients
that same day. They provided general medical care,
treating everything from minor lacerations to
heart attacks. They slept in empty exam rooms
at a local clinic, then on site in tents and eventually
for 2 nights in a local motel that had just reopened.
After about 48 hours, staff from the local hospital
began returning to the area and were quick to
come down to the medical station to offer help.
“The staff from the local hospital brought
us a mobile CT Scanner, an ultrasound machine
and digital imaging. Some of their nurses and
physicians wanted to come and work with us and
we welcomed the opportunity to get them involved
in the care of their own community,” said
Dr. Waite. “It was the first time the local
healthcare providers had integrated with our team,
and it was heartening to see the local community
uniting and pitching in.”
A Disaster Medical Assistance Team is a staff
of 35 professional and para-professional medical
personnel (supported by logistical and administrative
staff) designed to provide medical care during
a disaster or other event. They are deployed by
the National Disaster Medical System administered
by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Dr. Waite is an OB/GYN practicing in the Skowhegan
area. He has been a member of the Oregon DMAT
team since 2006.
REDINGTON-FAIRVIEW WELCOMES NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH
EDUCATOR
Nicole Santana, CHES, graduated Magna cum Laude
from the University of Maine at Farmington with
a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education
and minors in nutrition and exercise science.
Certified as a Health Education Specialist (CHES)
by the National Commission for Health Education
Credentialing, Inc., Nicole was most recently
the Physical Activity Program Coordinator at Somerset
Heart Health, and has worked as a personal trainer
and group fitness instructor at the UMF Fitness
and Recreation Center. Nicole’s office is
at the RFGH Community Health Education Center,
located at 31 Commercial Street in Skowhegan,
(207) 858-2318.
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