Recollections of Hurricane Maria as kidney care community in Puerto Rico recovers

Ivonne Ramirez

Editor’s note: A report released last December indicate d the economic impact of Hurricane Maria, which landed on the island of Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017 and led to the deaths of close to 3,000 people , is now estimated at $4 3 billion. As recovery continues, Ivonne Ramirez, RN , a former clinical manager at Fresenius Kidney Care’s Los Paseos clinic in Puerto Rico, talks about her experience during the storm and her life now.

When word spread that Hurricane Maria was on its way, we felt ready for it at the Los Paseos clinic. We made sure each of our patients received dialysis treatments before the storm hit and gave them resources like an emergency diet list, treatment orders and the support hotline number. Though we did everything we could, there was no way to fully prepare for what was to come.

As a clinical manager at the clinic, I never expected the extent of Hurricane Maria’s impact, bringing devastation to me, my family, friends, colleagues and patients. When the storm hit, fallen trees surrounded our clinic, and we suffered damage to the ceiling and floors. Our team sprang into action to clean up quickly and efficiently, re-opening the clinic just 2 days later. We then welcomed more than 200 patients who came from around the island for dialysis.

It was a gut-wrenching experience. How were we going to help all these additional patients when our own homes and families were affected by the storm? But for those living with ESRD, continued access to dialysis is life or death. We had no choice but to put our own needs aside and care for our patients around the clock.

We provided 3 hours of dialysis, a full treatment, to every patient who arrived that first day we reopened. We started at 8:00 a.m. and didn’t stop until the work was done at 3:00 a.m. the next day. My team of nurses and technicians worked all day, all night and then through the following weekends to ensure we delivered treatment to every patient who needed it, whether or not they were a Fresenius Kidney Care patient.

It wasn’t just the Los Paseos clinic team that provided around-the-clock care; Fresenius Kidney Care clinics all over the island took in new patients to accommodate clinic closures in the wake of the storm. More than 100 Fresenius Medical Care North America employees, including nurses, volunteered to travel to the island to help. Five nurses volunteered at our clinic, which allowed us the time we needed to deal with our own hardships while knowing our patients were in good hands.

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Fresenius Medical Care was incredibly supportive during this difficult time. They provided 24/7 security at our clinic and offered essentials to patients and staff such as food, water and shelter.

Two of my employees had to temporarily evacuate their homes as lakes flooded the area. Another employee lost the roof of his home and was without power for some time. As for me, a 100-foot tree fell on my house, taking off the roof and damaging a window.

Fresenius Medical Care ensured that our patients were cared for and our staff were supported so that we could continue to administer care through the storm and its aftermath. With their help, we made it through the worst storm to hit our island in more than 80 years.

Our clinic in Los Paseos has come a long way in a year, and many of the patients and staff who evacuated have since returned. But we are still recovering — even me. The experience of living through such a severe storm influenced my decision to move to Miami where I still work with Fresenius Kidney Care and continue to keep in touch with my former colleagues.

Looking back, I am proud of the commitment we made to saving lives and helping our patients through the storm. I am forever grateful that my staff and patients survived and that my company was there for us every step of the way.

–Ivonne Ramirez, RN

Clinic manager

Cutler Ridge Dialysis

Miami

D isclosure: Ramirez reports no relevant financial disclosures.