Shining Light During The Storm

When Hurricane Irma came to Puerto Rico, San Juan Capestrano Hospital leaders kept the hospital running with a fierce determination to keep patients and staff out of harm’s way. The tropics are known to have a hurricane season, and San Juan Capestrano utilizes a contingency plan known as the Incident Command System (ICS) that requires preparations to begin as soon as an atmospheric phenomenon is announced. Emergency planning meetings took place with hospital leadership, and on Tuesday, September 6th, the most crucial day began for us as the hurricane was approaching the eastern part of Puerto Rico.To protect the life and property of our patients, families, visitors and employees, all department heads were focused on specific tasks, and psychiatrists evaluated patients to identify special needs. With a census of 105 during the event, we followed an organized schedule, and physicians continued to evaluate incoming admissions and any patient in need. All hospital core services were maintained during the emergency, and when the worst of the storm hit, our staff worked as a team to keep patients safe both inside the hospital and on the grounds. In spite of the howling winds outside, our patients received services as usual throughout the storm. Today we are stronger than ever as a team and ready to face any situation with determination and eagerness to keep providing the best mental health services to our patients in Puerto Rico and its sister islands.

As soon as we got word that we were in the path of Hurricane Irma, the team here at Park Royal immediately went into action. We started making preparations, knowing that it was our responsibility to ensure the safety of our patients, our staff, and our families. Both our direct and indirect staff members met and prepared staffing grids, program schedules, and meal schedules. We created staff and family accommodations, including a designated area set up for pets. Patients were moved to occupy three of the four units, and family members set up camp in the empty unit. For the staff members who have children, we were able to create a day-care so that parents didn’t have to worry about their kids, and the kids had a place to feel safe and remain occupied so that they didn’t have to be fearful of the storm. In total, we were able to house 170 people and 60 pets. Patient programs continued to run throughout the day and evening, giving them a sense of calmness and security while also preventing any disruption in their treatment. We were the only psychiatric facility that remained open and dedicated to meeting both our patients’ needs and the needs of our community during the storm.

Director of Plant Operations David Mello said that he has never seen a group of managers pull together and work so smoothly as a team. Even those who admitted to being fearful as to what lie ahead noted that they quickly began to feel safe and protected, sheltered in our building where even the sounds of the storm outside couldn’t be heard. Director of Business Development Chris Hansen stated that working with the Park Royal Team during Hurricane Irma was one of the greatest experiences he has had in the 37 years that he’s worked in the healthcare field.

After the hurricane passed, the high spirits of our team didn’t fade, and our building continues to remain a shelter for those who do not yet have power in their homes. There is still a lot of work to be done in our community, but we are dedicated to doing all that we can to help.

CEO Mike Ham said that he has never been so proud of his team. This is one more example of the hard work and dedication that the people of Park Royal bring to our patients, our co-workers, and our families. It is evident that nothing in the future will deter us from continuing to provide the excellent care that we are known for.

In spite of the chaos that Hurricane Irma brought to Florida, the staff here at North Tampa Behavioral Health banded together to keep our patients safe. Throughout the storm, staff and leadership could be seen dedicating themselves to our patients and each other during this very fearful time. As evacuations became necessary throughout the state, we opened our doors to 25 patients from a hospital in Punta Gorda that needed shelter. Our intake team, CEO, UR director, clinical director, and nursing director processed all patients and escorted them to their rooms. We also invited our staff’s families and pets to take shelter with us and, all-in-all, we checked in 37 dogs, 19 cats, and a turtle.

To keep spirits up, we provided meals and activities, and even at the height of the storm, not a moment of programming was missed. We even made sure that night staff had room service coffee, and we organized babysitting rotations so our staff could continue their duties. Through it all — the challenges, the hope, the perseverance, and the exhaustion — we came out on the other side as one extended family, and we learned a lot about not only each other, but about ourselves. Now we are stronger as a team and stronger in our motivation to uphold our reputation for providing our patients with superior care.

During Hurricane Irma, Wellness Resource Center (WRC) was required to evacuate its facility for the safety of our clients and staff. Working around the clock, our staff prepared the facility for the storm and created a seamless hurricane action plan for the event. On Friday, September 8th, 2017, our specially selected staff deployment team worked to preemptively evacuate our clients. Non-deployment staff and their families were also welcomed to stay with us at our designated evacuation shelter, and other staff were welcomed with their pets at our facility, which is more secure than many of the surrounding buildings in our area. Three staff members were on-call for families and were updating our referents and the TPS team during the evacuation period. In addition, we provided real-time updates on our Facebook page to keep families abreast of the latest news.

Although our facilities did not receive any major damage as a result of Hurricane Irma, our clinical offices are still without power. In order to continue providing uninterrupted clinical care for our clients, we have established a temporary offsite location that will facilitate groups and individual therapy. Wellness is also providing hotel accommodations to staff and their pets while crews work to restore power and utilities in South Florida. WRC was recognized by the sheriff appointed to our evacuation zone, who thanked our team for their hard work and dedication during these trying times. The team at Wellness Resource Center did an excellent job working together before, during, and after the storm, and we will continue to uphold our commitment to providing excellent care in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

When Hurricane Irma hit, the staff at The Refuge worked tirelessly to ensure everyone’s safety. But more than that, they went above and beyond to keep spirits up during this challenging time. When they knew that the storm was going to descend on Ocala, the staff moved all from the administration building to the medical building. What is normally a short and enjoyable path between the two buildings became treacherous that evening, but despite the hazards, Nursing Director Dr. Debbie Orr went back out into the rain to retrieve forgotten stuffed animals and snacks to help keep our clients calm. Even with the chaos outside, patients could be found singing and playing guitar together in the hallway. When our amazing Sous Chef Dustin found out that it was a client’s birthday, he took it upon himself to make her a homemade ice cream cake, making her birthday a little more special even in the middle of a hurricane. After the storm, a client approached Alumni Coordinator Sue Ellen Walters and stated that she was amazed by the way we handled ourselves during this time, and that she was able to sleep because she knew we were going to keep her safe. Getting through this storm brought us together in a way that we hadn’t been before. Our unity as a team has grown, and our strength and dedication will continue to be reflected in the care we provide.