Since 09-07-05
New Orleans under Siege 4 - Dr. Henderson
Since 09-07-05
From: Ed Bertolas
[ed_bertolas@ebertolasinc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 1:08 AM
Subject: NEW ORLEANS UNDER SIEGE **** 4- (Dr. Henderson)
I have sent this out to 50000 people in my database so read on . This is not
about us but about them .
Had a rough few days physically but got tanked up and I am at it again. All I
need to wear is scrubs. I am attaching my latest update with an attached
document telling people how they can help. Please use your wide connections to
send this message far and wide.
Thanks Ed you are a real friend
An Update on the situation in New Orleans from Gregory S. Henderson, MD, PhD
To everyone all over the world who has read my e- mails, sent your prayers and
your help. I am sorry that I haven't been able to reply to all of you
acknowledging your e-mails and updating you with many details, but there has
been so much to do. However, through all of this I didn't want the details of
what has occurred day to day to be lost.
Because to me the way in which each of you have responded to the situation I told you about is about the most clear example of what the power of collective human love can create in this world. You should all remember what happen this week, what is still happening now, and how all of you helped to turn it around. Since I obviously haven't had much time for writing about what has gone on, I asked a favor of Ms. Nancy Zeleniak, who works for PPD International in Raleigh, North Carolina if she would summarize what all has happened since September 3, the day of the evacuation of the convention center.
Nancy and her company were so very instrumental in helping get the attention and care that these people needed, and spent a huge amount of time on the phone connecting the right people with the right people until it finally all started to come together. So, she really deserves to tell the tale. Finally, before you read Nancy¡¦s summary below, know that my family and I are still safe.
I am now back at Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hospital
trying to continue my efforts from here. In the care that Ochsner has given to
patients ceaselessly throughout the tragedy, in the help with supplies and
equipment while I was alone in the field, and in their construction of a relief
effort they have proven to me that I did indeed decide to join the best medical
center in the country. This e-mail has an attachment from Ochsner which
describes ways in which you can contribute help to the people of this battered
and beleaguered, but not defeated, city. Nancy's summary follows. Please pass it
on all over the world.
Since the time of the preceding e-mail of 3 Sept:
X The convention center was evacuated.
X The medical supplies sent by PPD filled two full buses were used by Dr Henderson and the National Guard within a few hours of delivery. Louisiana State Senator Rob Marionneaux is to thank for helping get the supplies from Baton Rouge into the hands of Dr Henderson. He arranged the ground transport and police escort. We also thank the bus drivers, Beth Carbo and Michele Drevecky. More supplies will be needed by medical personnel working throughout the disaster areas.
X Dr Henderson determined it would be better to evacuate those requiring dialysis versus bringing in mobile units under the current conditions.
X Nancy Zeleniak, global head of communications for PPD,
contacted Dr Henderson's former colleague, Dr Michael Moulton, an ER physician
at New Hanover Regional in Wilmington, NC, to gain advice on obtaining medical
staff for the MASH. Dr Moulton brought in Dr Bob Seligson, CEO for the NC
Medical Society. The team tapped into Dr Paul Jones in the office of the
soon-to-be chief medical officer for National Homeland Security, who was not to
start his job until 6 Sept. for additional insight. Question if this should be
said¡XI¡¦ve got a call into Paul This team worked together and through
connections and communications over a couple days, a North West Medical Team
already headed to the disaster area was contacted to help with Dr Henderson's
MASH.
E-mail excerpt from Dr Henderson to share with others: Subject: Re: New Orleans
Under Siege Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 11:24 -0200 From: "Gregory S. Henderson, MD,
PhD" <gshend@mac.com > I am still in New
Orleans. I was out of commission for a few hours overnight. I didn't realize how
dehydrated and hypoglycemic I was until I collapsed at the Sheraton last night.
My close colleagues in this effort, the New Orleans police got an ER doc that I
met up with during the evacuation efforts of the convention center to come by
and run a few bags of fluid in me and bring me to Ochsner where I got some
sleep. I am about to head back out into the field - I will remember to drink
more this time.
Editorial:
As of Sun., 4 Sept.: After staying overnight Saturday in the hospital, Dr. Henderson was back in full throttle. He began working with the 72nd Military Police Company, an 82nd Airborne Company and the NorthWest Medical Team to set up a much needed M.A.S.H. in a new location on Convention Center Boulevard in a parking lot in front of Hall H of the New Orleans convention center. This location offers space to expand the clinic and is accessible to current victims still in the city and those being brought in by police, ambulance and neighbors from remote areas for treatment and evacuation.
The North West Medical Team is highly experienced in
providing medical care in disaster areas. The 82nd Airborne under the direction
of Lt Col Metcalf is providing medics for screening patients, security and
evacuation of severe cases through helicopters. The 72nd Military Police Company
has since been reassigned to another need but Sgt John Sampson and Capt Troy
Armstrong were incredibly helpful during the operation.
The North West Medical Team led by Dr. Bill Essig and Dr. Dan Diamond came into
the site late Sunday evening. They worked with Dr. Henderson through the night
and into early morning hours to clean up trash and debris left from the
convention center evacuation to make it possible to set up a medical base. As of
Monday morning, Dr. Henderson says they were up and running with 4 MDs and 3
RNs.
The state police emergency center was informed of the
MASH and its capabilities and they also helped communicate to the Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) and EOP who could network the information to law
enforcement around the region and functioning hospitals within the evacuation
zone. Other medical professionals joined the MASH so that at the end of the day,
six MDs and 4 RNs were effectively working together and they had triaged and
treated almost 175 patients that day, evacuating the severe cases.
Thank you for the outpouring of support from all of his fellow medical
professionals. As medical staff can only give so much time away from their work,
the need for additional staff will be ongoing for quite some time. As of today,
there are sufficient qualified professionals in the queue to work at this MASH
unit; however, if you¡¦re interested in helping with similar efforts, you can
apply through the North West Medical Team
http://www.nwmedicalteams.org who is
helping coordinate volunteers.
They'll help you get registered and placed in an area
of need. Alternatively, you can register through the U.S. Dept of Health & Human
Services (HHS) for short to long term assignments (min. 14 days - max. 30 days)
via http://www.hhs.gov/ (click on
Hurricane Katrina link) or call +866 528 6334. If you're not certified to
practice in Louisiana, you need to get registered. You'll also want to linked
with a group with authority to be directed to a location with medical needs;
otherwise, you can waste much time traveling around without putting your skills
to work.
Thanks to all of you offering to ship supplies. What a difference in four days
because currently, the MASH is adequately stocked. The shipment from PPD helped
a couple days ago but North West Medical Team brought resources and the 82nd
Airborne is tapping its sources to help replenish supplies as needed.
However, all medical teams in the disaster areas are
working with an understanding that these are long term operations and supplies
will need to be continually replenished. As MASH units need to stay flexible to
relocate to meet the needs of victims and patients, it is better to not ship
large quantities of materials directly to the sites at this time. The North West
Medical Team takes supplies from companies in their warehouse and directs them
overnight to sites as needed. Please see their Web site for donating. For
individual and group donors, it would be best to donate money to organizations
to use for buying supplies.
Dr. Henderson is extremely grateful for all of the well wishes, prayers and
generous offers of supplies and volunteer services from experienced medical
professionals. Although he and his colleagues have the difficult job of being on
the front lines, the overwhelming outpouring of support from so many bolsters
the spirits and helps as they provide care for and save lives of our neighbors
caught in this horrific disaster.
I write with kindest regards on behalf of Dr. Henderson, Nancy
On Wednesday, September 07, 2005, at 01:25AM, President <ed_bertolas@ebertolasinc.com>
wrote:
<<Original Attached>>
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------
How ru physically Greg? Is there clothing I can send direct to you ? Is that
possible?
Ed Bertolas
At your side
----- Original Message -----
From: Gregory S. Henderson, MD, PhD
To: President
Cc: debbyblank@earthlink.net ; jack.gerhart@medtronic.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: NEW ORLEANS UNDER SIEGE ** 3
An Update on the situation in New Orleans from Gregory S. Henderson, MD, PhD
To everyone all over the world who has read my e- mails, sent your prayers and
your help. I am sorry that I haven't been able to reply to all of you
acknowledging your e-mails and updating you with many details, but there has
been so much to do. However, through all of this I didn't want the details of
what has occurred day to day to be lost......
I write with kindest regards on behalf of Dr. Henderson, Nancy
On Wednesday, September 07, 2005, at 01:17AM, President <ed_bertolas@ebertolasinc.com>
wrote:
<<Original Attached>>
-----------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: elisha nyberg
To: Ed Bertolas
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: NEW ORLEANS UNDER SIEGE ** 3
Thanks Ed for this info.
I have an apartment in New Hampshire available for anyone needing it from New
Orleans. Also have a pickup truck and a job for a carpenter should this help
with anyone needing work/place to stay etc to get going again. Anyone can call
me on 617 425 7049
Regards, Dr. Elias Nyberg
Ed Bertolas <ed_bertolas@ebertolasinc.com> wrote:
From: GREG S.Henderson in New Orleans:
I am still in New Orleans. I was out of commission for a few hours overnight. I
didn't realize how dehydrated and hypoglycemic I was until I collapsed at the
Sheraton last night. My close colleagues in this effort, the New Orleans police
got an ER doc that I met up with during the evacuation efforts of the convention
center to come by and run a few bags of fluid in me and bring me to Ochsner
where I got some sleep.
I am about to head back out into the field - I will remember to drink more this time. An important contact for any physicians to call to join the medical care team in New Orleans is an impressive young medical student and EMT named Drina Freitas.
She works directly under the ER doc who took care of me
last night. This ER doc's name is Juliet (I didn't catch her last name). But
Drina has the only working cell phone and she assured me that she will r! oute
all docs who want to participate or send supplies to Dr. Juliet. So call Drina
at 504-914-7394. Distribute this e-mail as widely as possible. Again thanks for
your thoughts and prayers.
Greg Henderson Gregory S. Henderson, MD, PhD
gshend@mac.com
Ed Bertolas Associates Inc.
http://www.ebertolasinc.com
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
****This is a sad and humbling day for the staff of the Ochsner Clinic
Foundation, and for the people of
our great city of New Orleans. We at Ochsner are grateful to report countless
acts of courage,
incredible dedication and generosity by our staff, patients and families, and
the citizens of New
Orleans, Louisiana and this wonderful country. What we have directly witnessed
reaffirms our faith in
humanity. It is unfortunate that the thoughtless acts of a few have diminished
the great work of so
many citizens from all walks of life.
Ochsner hospital remained open throughout this ordeal and continues to serve our
community. The
word written by employees with red garbage bags on the top of the parking deck
for all to see speaks
volumes: OPEN. This was our message to the city when all other communications
failed.
This feat is the product of incredibly dedicated, talented and selfless
employees. I am deeply grateful
to be associated with such an extraordinary group of people.
Approximately 5,000 of our 7,000 employees are victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Many of our people
have severely damaged homes, or are completely homeless.
In response to many requests to offer support, Ochsner has instituted the
Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Hurricane Relief Fund to benefit our employees and organization, both of whom
have both suffered
greatly in this disaster. Donations can be made payable to Ochsner Clinic
Foundation and specified for
the Ochsner Hurricane Relief Fund at the following address:
Ochsner Clinic Foundation - Dept. #118
P.O. Box 4869
Houston, TX 77210-4869
Funds may also be wired to the following location:
Hibernia National Bank
5718 Westheimer, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77057
ABA #113024915
Account #0623336615
Reference: Ochsner Clinic Foundation Hurricane Relief
Ochsner is a 510(c)3 non-profit organization, founded on patient care, research
and education. We are
one of the country’s largest non–university based academic centers and directly
care for patients
throughout southeast Louisiana. We continue our mission, and will serve and
rebuild New Orleans,
with the help of our employees and our extended family.
Sincerely,
Patrick Quinlan, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Ed Bertolas Associates Inc. http://www.ebertolasinc.com
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