HJNO Nov/Dec 2024

MEDICAL SOCIETY COLUMN MEDICAL SOCIETY NATURAL disasters strike with little to no warning, and their aftermath often leaves communities in chaos. From hurricanes to wildfires, earthquakes to floods, these events disrupt daily life, leading to power outages, loss of access to basic services, and wide- spread damage to infrastructure. Unfortu- nately, we are too familiar with hurricanes, and thankfully we are not well versed in earthquakes in Louisiana. Nonetheless, in such situations, personal medical prepara- tion can make the difference between life and death, especially for individuals with preexisting conditions or those who may need immediate care. Personal health, and healthcare, are just that: personal and individual. I hope every- one fared well with this season’s hurricanes and the aftereffects. We know that, going forward, we will continue to see storms on the horizon. As a physician, I encourage you all to discuss with your patients how to better prepare for disasters. As a patient myself, I encourage all of you to discuss di- saster preparation with your doctors. Not just hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, but include those more frequent disasters like when your travel luggage is lost or stolen this holiday season, and you find yourself without your needed medication. Consider the best place to seek healthcare when you evacuate for disasters. Where will you go? Does your physician recommend going to a certain city or town where healthcare re- sources will better suit your specific needs temporarily? What is the best way to com- municate with your physician when you evacuate for storms? Now, with all of our stormhistory inmind, I truly encourage you to look forward with your health. After Hurricane Katrina, there were too many members of our community who were lost to follow-up. Letters never made it to mailboxes reminding people of appointments because the mailboxes were gone. Phone numbers changed, and people could not be called to set up health main- tenance visits. Cancer screening and health maintenance are vital to long-term health. We all know that keeping our bodies healthy ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER STORM