UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 33, September 12, 2005
CCT RN Describes Neonatal Evacuation from New Orleans
Midnight, Tuesday, August 30
We just returned to Birmingham from New Orleans, simultaneously transporting four neonatal patients. We left the Birmingham airport at 5:50 pm via the Critical Care Transport (CCT) jet, and Lifesaver met us at New Orleans airport with their helicopter, because there was no ground access due to flooding. Lifesaver took three CCT crew members from the airport to Oschner Medical Center. On the flight to the airport, all you could see was destruction and water, and I thought "truly a saddening sight," but during the helicopter flight, it got worse. We were much closer and could see more destruction, more water, looters, police and emergency personnel, and uncontrolled fires all over.
Oschner's heliport was underwater, so we landed on the parking deck. With equipment in hand, we walked down six flights of stairs — all elevators were out of service — through the hospital, where there was caution tape and leakage throughout the hallways. We then climbed up two flights of stairs to the second floor unit, where they had moved the babies; they were originally on the 10th floor, but Hurricaine Katrina had blown out all the windows on that floor.
We entered the makeshift nursery, and the first two staff members we encountered were on the phones, crying, talking to someone on the other end, and trying to cope. All unit staff were overjoyed to see someone had come to help. They had requested help from all over, but told us we were the only ones to show up that day. They thought we were coming for only one patient, and when we told them we had resources to transport four, they were shocked. When we said we thought we could return tomorrow, they were even more excited.
The unit nurse practitioner pulled me aside and asked me "How bad is it out there, looking from the air? I mean, is it really as bad as they say?" I said "Yes, ma'am, it is, maybe worse, and my heart is broken for all of you down here." With that, she had to walk away.
All the staff were working in T-shirts, shorts, and flip flops due to the lack of ventilation. It was at least 110 to120 degrees in the unit, and the babies were in open cribs or warmers that were off, dressed only in diapers. Some had elevated temperatures. All the staff had been there 4 days, and they didn't think they would be able to leave until September 5, if they even had anything to go home to.
Tonight, all four babies came back to UAB's RNICU, but at least two more will be transported by us tomorrow. Dr. Lawrence Prince in Birmingham said we could bring one to Children's Hospital and one to UAB.
New Orleans is in a total state of destruction and chaos; I didn't have the words to make the people there feel better, but I made sure they knew they were in my thoughts and prayers.
Jason Peterson, RN
Coordinator, Critical Care Transport
Children's Hospital of Alabama