Medical response tents work to plug gap left by Unicoi Co. Hospital destruction
UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A medical response unit from Jackson, Tennessee arrived in Unicoi County shortly after generational flooding tore through the area and destroyed the county’s hospital.
News Channel 11 toured the inflatable tents set up in the parking lot of Unicoi County High School on Wednesday, which are serving as hubs for basic medical response while cleanup continues.
DA: TBI investigating Impact Plastics flood response
Staff at the tents are trained in first aid and can even treat respiratory and skin infections.
Ballad Health, who coordinated with the Jackson crews to set up the tents, reports the 24/7 sites can triage for minor illnesses and injuries and can stabilize and transfer trauma patients or those with serious conditions.
Additionally, TDAP, Hepatitis A and tetanus vaccines are available. The Tennessee Department of Health recommends anyone injured or anyone who has come in contact with debris or contaminated flood water to get the shots.
As of Wednesday, medical staff told News Channel 11 they have mostly treated cuts and bruises from people cleaning up after the flood and clearing debris.
The tents provide a temporary solution to a now-glaring medical gap in Unicoi County after the floodwaters from the Nolichucky River consumed the Unicoi County Hospital. More than 50 people were rescued from the roof of the hospital on Friday by helicopter.
Unicoi County Hospital Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harrah said the tents send a message to the people affected by the floods.
“It’s important for the community to see us still here,” Harrah said. “Still invested in this community. A lot of the local people recognize our workers and providers’ faces. So to keep this team here together for now and to still be that first response and have the expertise of ED medical doctors, ED nurses. It makes a difference.”
Ballad Health: Sycamore Shoals to resume surgeries Thursday
Some of the Ballad workers at the tents were on the roof during the rescue operation at Unicoi County Hospital.
Lynn Mooney with the Jackson-Madison County Health Department Emergency Response made the drive with his team, arriving in Unicoi County on Sunday. His team has helped in the response after disasters across the country, but the damage in Unicoi County is new to him.
“We’ve been to hurricane deployments,” Mooney said. “We’ve seen tornado deployments, but I’ve never seen water do what it did here.”
Two tents were set up as of Wednesday morning, and four more are ready to be utilized if needed. The tents can hold up to 100 patients, but there were only 20 receiving care as of Tuesday night.
Signage in English and Spanish is also posted throughout the medical response area to accommodate the Hispanic population of Unicoi County, and interpretation software is present at the tents.
The tents also have heat, A/C and wi-fi.
The medical crews from Jackson said they will remain in the area for as long as they are needed.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.