Hospitals continue struggle with hurricane aftermath

Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida at 3:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 1992. At its peak, its winds reached 164 miles-per-hour, and the resulting destruction of life and property has been well documented. However, there are stories yet to tell; stories that are not really unfamiliar to readers who know about health professionals' commitment to their patients and their professions. One individual, Frank V. LeBlanc, a spokesman for the Louisiana Hospital Association, said that the press seldom if ever follows up with coverage of what physicians, nurses, medical technicians, practical nurses, etc., accomplish during and after storms and other disasters. "They take our industry's commitment for granted," he said, "as though police and firemen, doctors, nurses and teachers are all expected to work day and night without sleep or additional pay. I think," he added, "that our society has taken advantage of these people and their deep sense of duty." What follows are a few need-to-be-told stories beyond what has already been reported, and additional to our own coverage in the September/October 1992 issue of Health Systems REVIEW, which was done almost while our printer was inking the presses. The first of a three-part article is an interview with Tony Degina of Deering Hospital, Miami, which was all but brought down by the hurricane. Next, the story of the hardest hit hospitals on the Louisiana coast. Finally, part three focuses on the September Pacific hurricane, Iniki, that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Kauai.