September 4, 2008

Dear Fellow Employees:

We have just come through Hurricane Gustav, and I wanted you to know that the Hospital, including our Calhoun Campus and various outreach clinics and programs, came through the storm in excellent condition.

All of our patients were well cared for, and our staff and doctors who were here performed magnificently. While there are always improvements that can be made, overall our Code Grey plan and preparations served us extremely well.

I can't begin to thank everyone enough who put so much time and effort into the hurricane response. Both patient care staff and support staff were great. It really takes everyone to make things work so well here at Children's Hospital during these difficult times. Everyone here had great attitudes and pitched in to help wherever needed. The parents I spoke with during the storm had complete confidence in us and were glad that they and their children were here.

The national and international press ran stories about Children's Hospital throughout the hurricane and marveled at how well we were prepared and how safe it was here for our patients and staff. Because they recognized such a safe and good thing, 200 police and firefighters sheltered here with us using the Ambulatory Care Center as their home base for this part of the City. Additionally, 50-75 National Guardsmen settled in at our Calhoun Campus.

All of this took logistical planning and support, and, once again, Children's Hospital employees were up to the task.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you. Let's hope we don't have any more hurricanes this season, but let's stay alert and prepared in case we do. And, remember; always have a plan in place to take care of your family first. That will allow you to focus, and it will give you the peace of mind you need to take care of Children's Hospital and our patients and their families.