PAGE B6 • ARTS & LIFESTYLES • DECEMBER 07, 2017
eye on medicine
Above, Stony Brook Medicine’s Puerto Rico medical relief team
Photo from SBU
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Improving health care at home and beyond
As the holidays arrive, our thoughts Puerto Rico. Most were stationed in the city turn to giving — and giving back to those of Manatí, while the rest went to the city of who need our help. Stony Brook Medicine’s Fajardo and then to the U.S. Navy hospital Puerto Rico medical relief team did just that, ship USNS Comfort. They worked closely spending two weeks on the devastated is- with military personnel, federal agencies land to treat patients and give a much-need- and the people of Puerto Rico. They saw ed break to health care workers there. more than 2,000 patients and helped local We got word, after Category 5 Hurricane health care workers get some rest and get Maria swept through, of the conditions in back on their feet. Our team returned Puerto Rico. Pharmacies home in November to were in ruins. Patients cheers and hugs from with chronic illnesses who their co-workers and needed to see their primaloved ones who met ry care physicians could them at Stony Brook Uninot get appointments. versity Hospital. Despite Health care professionals the hardships and long couldn’t tend to their own hours, they spoke of the families, nor repair their deeply fulfilling experidamaged homes, because ences they had in Puerto their services were needed Rico. Their trip embodied around the clock. the reasons why people Relief efforts for those choose a career in health in Puerto Rico took on care in the first place — many forms. In my role as to be of service and to chair of the Greater New provide excellent care. York Hospital AssociaStony Brook Medition board of directors, I served as part of an orga- BY Kenneth KAuShAnSKY, MD cine’s mission is to deliver world-class, compassionnization that teamed up with the Healthcare Association of New York ate care to patients and families. And someState to establish the New York Healthcare’s times that mission extends well beyond our Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund to as- own four walls. We are making a difference, sist hospitals, health care workers and their not only here at home but in communities families in Puerto Rico. The fund is a vehicle around the world. All of us at Stony Brook Medicine are so for New York’s hospital community to show its support for frontline caregivers and their extremely proud of our Puerto Rico relief families who have suffered significant losses. team. The work they did was heroic, generI’m proud how Stony Brook Medicine also ous in the extreme and so worthwhile. Our responded to this human health crisis. As thanks also go to their families and to their part of a 78-member relief team of person- Stony Brook colleagues who stepped up to nel from hospitals around the region, Stony cover extra shifts while the team was away. Having heard many of their experiences, Brook organized a team of health care professionals that was deployed to Puerto Rico. I cannot say enough about the team memThey signed on to spend two weeks living bers and their devotion. I know they have and working 12-hour days in less-than-ideal returned much better for the experience and conditions, with widespread shortages of are now safely back to continue their efforts to improve the health of our patients. food, water and electricity. Our 23 care providers — three physiDr. Kenneth Kaushansky serves as dean of cians, two nurse practitioners, nine nurses, the School of Medicine and senior vice presifour paramedics, four nursing assistants and dent of Health Sciences at State University of one pharmacist — split up after arriving in New York at Stony Brook.