Tested during last year's hurricane season, these measures are now part of CCS' disaster plan and will be used annually.
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Whitfield, Krohl and Jarrett helped arrange medication refills, shared evacuation information, and connected families with MedStay, a free hotel reservation service for low rates at hotels close to Duke hospitals. They encouraged the use of apps that shared federal and state-level information, identified where families could seek shelter and made sure EMS teams knew where at-risk patients were located. Maintaining power for machines is critical, which natural disasters can threaten.ĭays before last year's Hurricane Florence, the three used M圜hart to provide information to families and personally called those in moderate and high-risk areas. Matthew's historic damage led to research on disaster preparedness and a decision to be more proactive for future events.Īlong with Natalie Krohl, MSN, RN, PNP-AC, a nurse practitioner for CCS, and Valerie Jarrett, CCS program coordinator from the Population Health Management Office, the trio implemented interventions to protect patients who could be in need the most.ĬCS cares for almost 100 children across the state, all who have medical technology needs, including ventilators or feeding tubes. "We can't prevent natural disasters, but we can prepare ourselves and the families we care for," said Whitfield, a nurse clinician at Duke Children's Complex Care Service (CCS). Causing catastrophic flooding and almost $5 billion in damage in North Carolina, 2016's Hurricane Matthew changed thinking around disaster preparation for Stephanie Whitfield, BSN, RN, CPN.