Hurricane Helene: Healthcare Workers Prove Their Heroism Once Again

Steve Lawler, president and CEO of the North Carolina Healthcare Association, reflects on the heroic efforts of healthcare workers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

As North Carolina continues to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, an amazing group of humble heroes deserves our deepest gratitude and respect — our healthcare workers. In times of crisis, it’s often doctors, nurses, paramedics, and hospital support staff who hold the line, even as they leave their own families, pets and damaged homes behind. For them, this is more than just a job; it’s a calling. This commitment to serve, despite the risks, demonstrates the quiet heroism and steadfast resilience that these professionals embody.

The devastation left by Hurricane Helene impacted more than 20 hospitals across western North Carolina. Flooding, power outages, and impassable roads put enormous strain on healthcare facilities, yet hospital staff showed up, stood fast, and extended compassion and love to every person seeking care and help. Dedicated individuals like Dr. Matt Riester, who postponed a trip to celebrate a 10th wedding anniversary when the storm hit,?navigating two hours through storm damaged and flooded roads to reach Mission Hospital ( Mission Health ) in Asheville determined to help.

As hospitals managed with limited resources, backup generators became lifelines, and manual processes took the place of routine systems to ensure patients continued to receive essential care.

"In these moments, hospitals became more than just buildings; they were beacons of hope, places where stability and healing were offered amid the chaos."

As the storm’s destruction unfolded, hospitals across the state mobilized swiftly in coordination with state emergency officials, pooling resources to ensure that facilities in the hardest-hit areas could continue functioning. Healthcare providers from the Piedmont to the coast came together, raising their hands to volunteer in regions far from home. Folks like Thomas Gioello, an emergency manager at Cone Health , who volunteered?to work for two five-day deployments at shelter in Western North Carolina. Their actions demonstrated the unity and compassion that form the backbone of North Carolina’s healthcare community — a community that prioritizes caring for people above all else.

At Mission Hospital, more than 100 nurses and physicians arrived from sister hospitals across the nation within the HCA Healthcare system, showcasing a unified response that transcends geography. Atrium Health ’s MED-1 mobile hospital quickly deployed to Tryon to provide comprehensive patient care supported by a team of nurses, doctors, trauma surgeons, paramedics, and other essential staff. In Shelby, 25 team members from Duke Health set up a field hospital triage area, providing critical care to those in need.

UNC Health provided free virtual care for residents in Western North Carolina, ensuring patients receive continuity of care despite the surrounding destruction. Meanwhile, WakeMed Mobile Critical Care teams were deployed to shelters, assisting in emergency response and triaging patients in need of care. Many families in Buncombe County were displaced because of flooding, power outages, and structural damage. A shelter created by Novant Health and the Red Cross provided a centralized place where these families could find relief and stability as they begin the challenging process of rebuilding their lives. These acts of selflessness and commitment underscore the extraordinary camaraderie that binds healthcare professionals.

Take, for instance, the Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC), which, along with ECU Health , dispatched disaster services teams to western North Carolina in the early hours after the storm. Stephanie Seals, a disaster services specialist with EHPC, was among the first to deploy. Within hours, she and her team set up a Statewide Patient Coordination Team to manage critical care transport and expedite transfers to safer locations. Their swift actions mitigated risks for patients and ensured they continued receiving the care they needed, despite widespread connectivity and infrastructure challenges.

Let this recent storm remind us of the critical role these healthcare workers and hospitals play in our lives, not just during times of crisis but every day. We can show our appreciation in several ways — by contributing to support programs for hospital workers, like the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation ’s Disaster Relief Fund (www.ncha.org/give), and, most importantly, by simply saying “thank you.” And continuing to support those impacted by Helene for months to come as the recovery will be long. In moments of crisis, these healthcare heroes showed us what it means to be a good community partner and good neighbor, providing us with a sense of security and hope when everything else seemed uncertain.

They have shown us, once again, the very best of humanity.

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Steve Lawler

President and CEO

North Carolina Healthcare Association

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