Meet Sean Murphy, our Emergency Management Specialist & EMS Liaison.
He's also a member of the Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team from Boston (DMAT MA-1), a group that deploys to provide rapid-response medical care at fixed or temporary medical care sites when a disaster strikes. He and his team were deployed last month to operate a 24/7 field hospital in the Florida Keys (home to 700,000 people) for residents who were affected by the hurricane.
His team of 36 people, plus ambulances and security, was one of only three medical facilities in the Keys - the next closest being 50 miles away. They began seeing patients September 8 when their hospital opened. Initially, the team treated people who chose not to leave their homes when the storm hit. Injuries included issues caused when the storm swept away their medications or injuries from stepping on nails or sharp debris that the winds left behind. Later, after weeks of no potable water, electricity and very warm weather (it was regularly above 100 degrees), they saw a lot of dehydration issues, cardiac events and withdrawal symptoms.
When asked if he had a message for his friends and coworkers back in Alaska, Sean was very clear. "I want to say 'thank you.' This is what I get to do because I'm lucky - and a big part of that is Alaska Regional Hospital being so supportive of me and this mission. I also really want to thank my colleagues who are filling in for me while I'm away."
While we always hate to see him go, we are very proud of Sean. In times of crisis, we know his expertise is invaluable elsewhere.
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