Lauren Dunn is the executive editor of the NBC News Medical Unit.
In the days leading up to Hurricane Helene, Dr. Lisa Kaufmann worked around the clock to make sure her North Carolina hospital system was as prepared as possible, stockpiling supplies like water, food, medication and equipment. But nearly a week after the storm’s ferocious floodwaters destroyed so much of the western part of the state, Kaufmann, the chief medical officer for UNC Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s three hospitals, said they’re now dealing with another crisis.
“With the patient load finally dying down, there are people going out to their addresses because we haven’t been able to get a hold of them to check and see if they’re OK.” “It’s just like, do you not have cell service or are you dead?” she added. Of High Country Community Health’s 13 clinics, only nine are operational after the storm. At first, they couldn’t get in contact with many of their staff members, said Alice Salthouse, the clinics’ founder and chief executive officer.
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