Disaster Response in Rural Medicine

Disaster Response in Rural Medicine

How do you evacuate a hospital when floodwaters are rising faster than you can think, and help is miles away?

In this episode, Dr. Schillinger and Dr. Hoskins are joined by Dr. Sean Ochsenbein, Ballad Health's Regional Chief Medical Officer, who recounts the real-time decisions and coordinated actions that saved lives during a catastrophic flood at Unicoi County Hospital in rural Erwin, Tennessee.

The team faced the unimaginable: 70 patients and staff trapped inside, waters rising by the minute, and no clear way out. From deploying swift water rescue teams to triaging patients under intense pressure, their clinical expertise and calm leadership turned chaos into action, culminating in a dramatic evacuation involving Black Hawk helicopters.

This is more than a story of disaster response. It's a real-time masterclass in crisis leadership, medical decision-making, and staying calm when everything is on the line.

When every second counts, what does it take to lead?

Tune in to hear how these clinicians rose to the moment.

This podcast was originally released on May TBD, 2025

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