“Our advance preparations allowed us to continue our own patients’ dialysis treatments in the aftermath of the storms and to provide support to the entire Greenbrier renal community” said Sharon Deluca, FMCNA’s director of operations for 10 affected West Virginia clinics.
Natural disasters strike throughout the year, and when such events occur, FMCNA coordinates efforts across all levels of the company, ensuring the ability of staff to provide patients with dialysis treatments, equipment and supplies, medicines and lab services. The company also works in tandem with local governments and community organizations such as the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition, hazmat teams and others. It also activates an emergency hotline so that any dialysis patient— whether they are a regular FMCNA patient or not – can arrange to receive treatments.
“In recent years we have seen natural disasters occurring in more populated areas, which have greatly impacted our patients and clinics. Our job is to prepare for these types of disasters to ensure our patients’ safety,” said Dr. Babajide Salako, director of Global Pandemic Response Operations, FMCNA. “FMCNA’s resources and national partnerships give us the ability to coordinate the delivery of resources from across the country to any locale within hours of a disaster.”
FMCNA’s natural disaster response plan has been tested and validated many times in recent years, from Hurricanes Ike and Katrina, to last year’s tornadoes and floods in Alabama and Missouri.
For more information on FMCNA’s natural disaster response efforts and important tips to help patients prepare for any emergency, visit FMCNA’s Emergency Preparedness website.
