Coalition member, Marcus Sheppard, is currently deployed in Puerto Rico, attached to the Midwest 1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (defined below) as a Logistics Chief. Even weeks after Hurricane Maria tore through this area, there’s still much assistance to be offered in the area. When he’s not deployed, Marcus is the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Blount Memorial Hospital. Marcus started his career with DMAT in 2012 when he was deployed to Haiti after a devastating earthquake destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. Since then, he has worked every major disaster, most recently he’s spent almost two months in Texas, Florida and now Puerto Rico. Marcus is a valued member of the KETHC with a wealth of experience, and we look forward to hearing him share his lessons learned from his recent work!
From PHE.gov:
DMATs are staffed with medical professionals and para-professionals who can help area health systems respond by providing expert patient care. DMAT team members include advanced clinicians (nurse practitioners/physician assistants), medical officers, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, pharmacists, safety specialists, logistical specialists, information technologists, communication and administrative specialists.
Mission assignments to DMATs vary widely. When disaster strikes, DMAT members may be called on to help hospitals and healthcare facilities serve the needs of their patients, support medical sites and shelters, and more. In a disease outbreak, they may provide mass prophylaxis. During a special event, they stand ready to serve in case of an emergency. But no matter what the specific mission is, DMAT teams provide expert patient care that protects individual health and promotes national health security.