Helpers and Heroes: a letter from CEO Chris Brown
October 16, 2024
Hurricane Helene: Helpers and Heroes
By: Chris Brown, RN, CEO
In the days since Hurricane Helene left behind a path of unprecedented destruction across our region, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of such a special community that bands together during difficult times.
It is often in times of tragedy that we see the best of humanity. It is in these toughest of times that Fred Rogers instructed us to “look for the helpers.” Haywood Regional Medical Center has been surrounded by no shortage of heroes and helpers over the past two weeks, and we are eternally grateful for this support.
Our team members – providers, clinical staff, plant operations and environmental services teams, and countless others – stepped up and tirelessly served our patients and community while facing many personal challenges of their own. This spirit of compassion and teamwork exemplifies our core values, and we cannot thank them enough.
Our community members—emergency management and first responders to non-profit organizations, churches, and individual volunteers—have been instrumental to our crisis response. Experiencing the collective generosity of our community partners has been humbling and reminds us of how strong we are when we come together to serve one another. We are especially thankful for the collaborative relationships demonstrated by our county throughout the disaster, prioritizing the health and safety of community members above all else. Despite the challenges, we maintained continuous operations, and for that, we are truly grateful.
This crisis has also reinforced the importance of being part of a large organization with extensive resources and a commitment to always doing the right thing. In the wake of the disaster, Lifepoint Health and our sister facilities across North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee immediately dispatched water, food, fuel, oxygen and medications, staff and other critical resources and donations. This support helped ensure our doors remained open to accept patients and alleviate an even worse disaster.
There are likely to be many unknowns in the days ahead, but it is reassuring to know that we are surrounded by many helpers and heroes, and our community stands united. We are confident that together, we will emerge stronger and even more united in our mission of making communities healthier.