Headed to Joplin to help

We just held our preparatory meeting with the 18 Regis employees who are traveling to Joplin Missouri to help with disaster recovery from the tornado two weeks ago. I was so touched by the generosity of time and expertise demonstrated by this group of people. I worked at the hospital that was destroyed by the tornado; it was my home for 15 years. My sister still works there. Thank goodness she is safe.

Every employee at Regis gets mission leave, and so this is an opportunity for them to use it. We don't know what we're in for -- other than heat and humidity -- but it's clear this is a bunch of people who we can rely on to have our backs.

I'm a little scared and apprehensive about what we will see, but also excited. We have nursing faculty and students with us who will get to see firsthand what health care delivery is like under extreme circumstances. We may be able to tour the mobile MASH unit that has been established. It apparently has six wings and looks like something out of science fiction. They can deliver babies and do surgery there, which is really needed, as the area has lost its major regional medical center, heart center, trauma center, and cancer center.

The group will also get a cultural immersion in rural America! We are all staying in the Kansas town of my childhood, Columbus, Ks. It only has 2800 people and a lot of farms. It's about 20 miles from Joplin, and most people there used Joplin as their go-to place for retail goods and groceries. Relatives and high school friends have stepped up and will give us all a place to stay.

This is such a chance to contribute in a meaningful way under dire circumstances. I'm grateful to work in such a place and ready to get rolling. I'll keep you posted on our experience over the next few days. Stay tuned.

If you want to help, too, there is a fund set up for the more than 3000 employees of St. John's Medical Center whose future is uncertain. The Missouri Hospital Association has set up a fund for them called HERO, or the Hospital Employee Relief Operation. You can donate to them at https://www.mhanet.com/herofund/