Given months to live, he decided to volunteer in every state
With about 12 to 18 months to live, Ruch, 55, considered helping Hurricane Helene victims in North Carolina or wildfire victims in the Los Angeles area. But that wasn't enough, he said, because he wanted to reach residents in all 50 states and D.C.
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Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
FedEx-Funded Training Is Helping Heart to Heart International Reach More People in Crisis
When disasters strike, timing is everything. The faster Heart to Heart International (HHI) can respond, the more lives we can touch. But speed and impact don't happen without training and preparation. Thanks to the generous support of FedEx, 2024–2025 has transformed HHI's training and readiness programs. With expanded virtual courses, hands-on simulations, and role-specific learning, our staff and volunteers are more prepared than ever to meet the demands of real-world disaster response. That readiness means we're able to reach more people, faster, and with better care. The value of this investment was clearly seen during hurricanes Helene and Milton, which devastated communities across seven states in the fall of 2024. These dual disasters tested our team and systems, but thanks to focused training, our team rose to the challenge. Volunteers who had completed advanced courses stepped into key leadership roles. One volunteer, trained in our new Power and Communications module, managed all field technology for a 15-person team. This allowed staff to focus on delivering $2.2 million in medical aid and reaching more than 400 patients with care, including administering 239 lifesaving vaccines. This kind of capability is the new standard thanks to our evolving training strategy. In April 2025, HHI hosted its most comprehensive Emergency Medical Team (EMT) simulation yet. Volunteers and staff worked side-by-side to set up mobile clinics, coordinate logistics, and triage patients in a controlled but realistic environment. The goal? Ensure that when a disaster hits, no one is figuring things out for the first time. Before the training, only a few volunteers rated themselves as 'very prepared' to deploy. Afterward, that number more than doubled, with 100% of participants saying they felt more confident and equipped to respond. The training didn't just build skills, it built trust, strengthened relationships, and empowered people to lead. One volunteer shared, 'Acting out a deployment, from communications to patient care, really demonstrated what it's like. The amount of preparation that goes into this shows how much HHI cares. That's why I choose to be a part of it.' Through the LearnUpon Learning Management System, HHI has scaled training access even further. Now, staff and volunteers can learn anytime, anywhere, with courses in disaster medicine, logistics, cultural sensitivity, and more. Already, 91 users have completed 20 courses, with many more in development. These tools are preparing responders before they ever set foot in the field. So when the time comes, responders are ready to serve. Every hour of training is an investment in someone else's survival. Thanks to FedEx's support, HHI is prepared to reach more people, provide better care, and show up stronger in every emergency. Thank you, FedEx, for making this possible. Together, we're proving that with the right training, we can respond wherever we're needed most. Written by Amy Lafferty, Senior Manager, Communications, Heart to Heart International Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from FedEx
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
How hurricanes, fires, and floods put drugs and medical supplies at risk
Advertisement These threats are especially pressing as the Trump administration makes a push to ramp up US drug manufacturing, say the authors of the new research. As part of a broader effort to increase US pharmaceutical factories, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on imported medicines, a move that could make the country more reliant on domestically produced supplies. Roughly 40% of finished medications and 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredient components come from abroad, according to US Food and Drug Administration estimates. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Climate change-driven extreme weather events impose new threats to established vulnerabilities in the US drug supply,' the study's authors wrote. 'Those threats must be examined to be appropriately mitigated.' The analysis used FDA and Federal Emergency Management Agency databases to find drug production facilities in counties with major fire, hurricane, storm, tornado and flood events between 2019 and 2024. California, Florida and North Carolina were home to the largest numbers of facilities in counties with presidential disaster declarations. Advertisement Hurricanes were the most common of the climate-related disasters in areas with pharmaceutical facilities, according to the research. In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and disrupted Baxter's saline solution manufacturing facility there. Baxter is a major manufacturer of the sterile salt water widely used in hospitals to deliver medications and keep patients hydrated. The company didn't have backup facilities manufacturing smaller bags of the saline solution, which compounded pre-existing supply issues. Baxter has said it's learned from Maria and now has a more resilient supply chain, citing manufacturing investments and FDA clearance to produce saline outside of the US if needed. Even resilient supply chains are prone to climate shocks, though. Helene flooded Baxter's North Carolina facility, which made 60% of the IV fluid bags used in US hospitals for various functions, including to deliver medicine. Baxter reported earlier this year that the North Carolina plant was back at pre-hurricane production levels, and the FDA said this month that the shortages had resolved. Sarah Ryan, a spokesperson for pharmaceutical industry group PhRMA, says that the industry works with government regulators to avoid shortages. The new research did not determine how often such disasters result in shortages, saying that data wasn't readily available. ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Study: Storm-Driven Blackouts Left Thousands Without Care As Clinics Closed Across Southeast
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 18, 2025 /3BL/ - Power outages from Hurricanes Helene and Milton forced temporary closures at more than half of safety-net health care providers surveyed across Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, according to a comprehensive new study released today by Direct Relief. Read the full report here. Among 80 community health centers and free and charitable clinics responding to the survey, 43 organizations (54%) said power loss forced the temporary closure of at least one site. The closures led to nearly 28,000 canceled or delayed patient visits — an outcome that researchers have tied to elevated longer-term mortality rates. The survey also found widespread financial losses and medicine spoilage that compounded the health impact. Key findings Bedrock providers left vulnerable 'Health centers and clinics are often the bedrock health care providers in their communities,' said Sara Rossi, managing director of the Health Resiliency Fund at Direct Relief. 'Without power, their ability to deliver critical, even life-saving services is compromised, leaving vulnerable patients at serious risk.' 'When power goes out, I'm in scramble mode to save vaccines. Without electricity, my X-ray, ultrasound and health records are down — and patient care stops,' said John Newman, executive director and chief medical officer at Volunteers in Medicine in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Widespread backup power gaps The survey revealed alarming gaps in backup power infrastructure at safety-net health care facilities. Unlike hospitals, which are legally required to maintain backup generators and fuel supplies, community health centers and free and charitable clinics face no such mandates. Severe financial and medical impacts The financial toll was significant. Twenty-three organizations reported revenue losses totaling $12.9 million while they were closed. Among FQHCs that lost revenue, the average loss was $803,000 per organization. Nearly one-fourth (19) of the providers were forced to discard temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines when their refrigerators lost power. One clinic reported losing $60,000 worth of vaccines alone. These losses not only carried financial costs but also reduced availability of critical treatments such as insulin for diabetics and Tdap vaccines needed to prevent tetanus after hurricane-related injuries. Twenty-five organizations suffered infrastructure damage totaling more than $3.1 million. Patients hit hardest The closures disproportionately affected vulnerable populations who rely on safety-net health care providers. FQHCs serve more than 32 million patients nationwide — nearly 1 in 10 U.S. residents — including 1 in 5 rural residents and 1 in 3 people living in poverty. Among patients at free and charitable clinics, 84% lack health insurance. These patients often have higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, making them especially vulnerable during and after disasters. Many also face barriers such as multiple jobs, language differences and transportation challenges that make rescheduling appointments difficult. Following the storms, 38% of surveyed organizations reported surges in patient demand, with some seeing increases of more than 50% as displaced residents sought care while other facilities remained closed. Link to rising hurricane-related deaths The study's findings take on added significance in light of research on hurricanes' long-term health effects. A 2024 study in Nature found that excess deaths attributable to hurricanes can be 300 or more times higher than immediate fatalities, with health care disruptions among the key drivers. The research tracked all 501 hurricanes hitting the continental United States between 1930 and 2015. While the average hurricane caused 24 immediate deaths, storms led to between 7,170 and 11,430 additional deaths in the 20 years after landfall. 'These outages don't just close clinics for a day — they ripple into long-term health risks,' Rossi said. Climate change amplifying threats Beyond hurricanes, the survey showed that power reliability is an ongoing challenge for safety-net clinics. More than 35% of organizations said unreliable power is a persistent concern in their area, with nearly 1 in 5 losing power at least once per quarter. 'It just adds to the uncertainty and the anxiety collectively around the state. The threat is very real and very widespread,' said Gianna Van Winkle, director of emergency management programs at the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, which helped conduct the survey. The 2024 tornado season was the second-worst on record, with 1,791 tornadoes striking the United States—many spawned by hurricane activity. About the survey Direct Relief surveyed 394 FQHCs and free and charitable clinics across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina — representing most FQHCs in the region and 84% of estimated free and charitable clinics. The 80 respondents included 25 FQHCs and 55 free and charitable clinics operating about 500 clinical sites combined. Note to editors: Read the full report. Additional data and interviews with health care providers are available upon request. About Direct Relief Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. Direct Relief provides medical assistance when and where it is needed most—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. Media Contact: Paul Sherer, [email protected]. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Direct Relief
