FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — As dozens of helping hands continue to reach out for those affected by Hurricane Helene, Frankfort, Kentucky nurses returned from their time in Asheville, North Carolina.
On Sept. 28, chief nursing officer Stephanie Stratton, medical surgeon Taylor Kendall, administrative director for diagnostic imaging Amanda Truitt and critical care manager Lorie Harley, all with Frankfort Regional Medical Center, traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.
"So we come off the bus and the leaders greet us and the leaders are in tears like you're here, help has finally come," said Truitt.
"We shed tears with them, we hugged them, we heard a lot of stories, we loved on them as much as we could. We were ready to just jump in and whatever services they needed us to do we'd be there for them," said Harley.
"I get real emotional about this because it was so sad. There were people that were coming into the hospital off the streets that were just looking for some water or something to eat- wifi. Something to charge their phone," explained Stratton.
Stratton said the drive into Asheville was devastating to witness. Many cities replaced by water above trees. Several medical teams in Asheville has been working non-stop since the first day Helene hit North Carolina.
"I believe one statistic they gave us was 75% of their employees they had made contact with. So they were still looking for 25% of their employees," said Harley.
The group saw at least 700 in-patients a day excluding the dozens of patients who came to the emergency room. Stratton said Mission Health has a very large dialysis population and at least 9,000 patients did not miss treatment because of water tanks provided by HCA Healthcare.
HCA also provided several pairs of clean underwear, 28 mobile showers, a mobile laundry unit, fuel tanks and hot meals for staff.
However, many of these patients who are being treated and discharged still don't have a home to go to.
"There was a security guard standing there and he was talking to another security guard and he said 'I don't have a home anymore. I don't have a home to go back to.' Even prior to that I had went around on the women's hospital that is attached to the main hospital," explained Stratton. "There was an EVS worker there that said she didn't know if she was going to have enough formula for her baby."
"There was a gentlemen who was looking for his father who had open heart surgery two weeks ago. He was hoping and praying that his father was still in the hospital and of course he wasn't in the unit we were at," described Truitt. "He had been discharged the week prior and of course you can just see the look on his face and the guy is like, 'my dads house isn't there. I can't get to him.'"
They want people to know that this is real life. The devastation thousands are enduring is very real and very traumatic. It is going to take along time for the western part of the state to get back on their feet.
The nurses spent the next week being there for people, providing them care and comfort. They all admit leaving Asheville filled them with guilt because they have a home and family to go home to, while those that remain in North Carolina don't.
Stratton and the other nurses admit being filled with pride to work for HCA. “I don’t think I’ve been more proud to work for an organization. I was so proud to work for an organization that didn’t- never blink an eye. And had resources in there within hours, two to four hours max.”
