Nurses from Wilcox Health (Kauai Medical Clinic and Wilcox Memorial Hospital) left Kaua’i last week on a medical-aid mission, volunteering to help render medical aid in Houston, Texas, to displaced victims of Hurri-cane Katrina. Licensed Practical Nurse Diane Pierce, of
Nurses from Wilcox Health (Kauai Medical Clinic and Wilcox Memorial Hospital) left Kaua’i last week on a medical-aid mission, volunteering to help render medical aid in Houston, Texas, to displaced victims of Hurri-cane Katrina.
Licensed Practical Nurse Diane Pierce, of Kauai Medical Clinic, and Registered Nurse Jill Alderete, with Wilcox Memorial Hospital’s emergency medicine department, along with Lucinda Baptiste, Kerry Engle and Kealani Schmitt, all Kauaians, left for Houston.
They carried with them donated items for the victims, said Lani Yukimura, Wilcox Health spokesperson.
Their destination is the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where over 9,000 evacuees are being housed, all survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
“About 1,000 new patients are seen each day at the center,” said Wilcox Health’s Dr. Ken Pierce, who was instrumental in connecting his wife, Diane Pierce, with those who were searching for volunteers.
“This is a small Kaua’i contingent of five women, with others who may join them later,” he said. “The local health-care resources are overwhelmed in Houston, so they set up a satellite facility at the convention center,” he added.
“They put out a call for volunteers, and I am proud of the women here on Kaua’i who answered the call,” he said.
These volunteers are working with staff from the University of Texas and Memorial Herman Hospital staff members.
Although their assignments were not yet determined when they left last week, Alderete said she expects she will be working in the triage unit, and Diane Pierce said she was hopeful of working in a pediatric unit.
“There are many volunteers in Texas, but they have regular health-care jobs during the day, so they can only volunteer their time after their regular shifts,” Diane Pierce said.
“We are happy to be able to provide full-time assistance while we are there.”
For Alderete, taking time off from her regular duties as an emergency-room nurse at Wilcox Memorial Hospital was a concern, but the emergency-room staff members were very encouraging, she said.
“They rescheduled their time to cover my shifts so I could volunteer my time. I really appreciate their support, because this work is very important to me, and I am very happy for the opportunity to be of service to those in need,” she said.
Members of the Kaua’i team are volunteering their time, and paying for their own travel and expenses. Host families in Houston are providing housing for them.
