RFGH Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Skowhegan, Maine

  
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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.


Nicole Santana, CHES 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.


 

Financial information about RFGH, including the hospital's form 990 is available at guidestar.org


RFGH BUILDS NEW
MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING

Celebrating
40 Years of Caring for the Community!


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