With the help of a dedicated team and support from the community, the Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi remained open during Winter Storm Fern to meet community medical needs.
Many staff members slept at the hospital for several days due to dangerous road conditions and their commitment to provide care.
Jerry Kelly, a nurse manager at Baptist Memorial Hospital who lives in Pontotoc, Miss., was impressed by the hospital staff’s willingness to provide care despite difficult conditions from the ice storm.
“One thing that I will never forget about working through this storm is the sacrifice hospital staff made putting their patients before their own needs at home,” Kelly said.
For Kelly’s family of healthcare workers, his decision to be away from home and brave the cold was a no-brainer.
“All of my family are in the medical field and know what that responsibility means,” Kelly said.
William Norris, director of food and nutrition at the hospital — along with his daughter and 14 of his staff members — stayed overnight for multiple days to keep the community fed.
“We continued to serve all patients and families and kept the coffee shop and the cafeteria running as if it was a normal day,” Norris said. “We even had university students and people from surrounding neighborhoods who walked to the hospital to eat because they did not have power.”
Norris emphasized how staff members prioritized the hospital’s needs.
“Everyone was willing to do whatever they could to help during this stressful time,” Norris said. “Staff were leaving their own families and homes and staying at the hospital round the clock.”
Norris said that staff members went beyond their job duties to help with all facets of the hospital’s operations.
“Staff were pulling together and working in other areas of the hospital to help — nurses were helping cook, ancillary staff was helping serve food, deliver linens — whatever they could with smiles on their faces,” Norris said. “There were a lot of tired people, but everyone kept doing whatever was needed to take care of our patients.”
Like many others working at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Gilbert Stroud, director of plant operations and facilities from Batesville, Miss., called the hospital home throughout the storm. He was also diligently working a week ahead of time to secure necessary supplies and equipment.
“We continued our normal responsibilities and also started prep the week prior to the storm to prepare the roads, parking lots and sidewalks to keep them clear of ice and snow,” Stroud said. “We brought in skid steers for clearing and were slinging salt around the clock to keep the grounds safe and free of ice.”
Along with this preparation, Stroud said, his department worked during the storm to keep the grounds and facilities safe and accessible.
“As the storm set in, we were out in the cold … plowing the roads day and night,” Stroud said. “We had to ensure the equipment within the hospital was still running as normal even during the cold temperatures.”
Stroud said his team dutifully faced the frigid temperatures, no matter how harsh the conditions grew.
“I would like people to know how amazing and dedicated my team is to this hospital and our patients,” Stroud said. “They never complained no matter how cold or tired they were. We are very blessed.”
As freezing temperatures subsided, water pressure in Oxford also waned as leaks became apparent. To keep water flowing at the hospital and refill tanks, the City of Oxford turned off water to several parts of the community.
Administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi Brian Welton released a statement on Jan. 27 thanking key stakeholders for their efforts.
“I would like to thank Mayor Robyn Tannehill, the City of Oxford and local residents for their support as we work to ensure Baptist North Mississippi continues to operate at the highest levels for the community,” Wellton said in the statement. “The quick and concerned response of the city to our concerns about water pressure issues that began this afternoon has been incredible and demonstrates their commitment to this remarkable community.”
As the hospital helped the community, the community also helped the hospital, from bringing food to making a way for staff members to get to their jobs.
“We had employees trapped at home because of the ice, and neighbors were helping them clear their drives so they could be mobile and come to work,” Norris said. “The community came together to make sure we could take care of our patients.”
As recovery efforts wrap up, the hospital community hopes that they will continue to be seen as a valuable resource for those in need.
“One thing I would like for people to know about my experience during the storm is that Baptist (North Mississippi) will always be here for our community and our patients,” Kelly said.
