This past weekend was a dangerous and frightening time for many members we serve in Tennessee. Our field clinicians and their patients live in the same communities, so when the clinicians heard the tornado warnings from the Nashville office of the National Weather Service they jumped into action. Our team contacted patients who were in the path of the storms within minutes of the news to ensure that they were safe, and their needs were met. 

One clinician was in the home of a patient when the storm sirens began sounding.  The clinician assisted the patient down the basement stairs (which she couldn’t navigate on her own) to safety just before the storm struck her area. The patient was having signs of anxiety and dangerously high blood pressure, but with the help of her clinician and our Nurse Practitioner was able to get it controlled. The clinician stayed with the patient until she was stable, and her family could arrive.

Another patient answered our call and shared that she was suffering from exacerbation symptoms. The clinician immediately connected the patient with her Nurse Practitioner to evaluate and treat the problem, avoiding a trip to the emergency room at a time when first responders were extremely busy and some roads impassable.

A third patient was reached only to discover he was trapped in his basement due to a tree that had fallen onto his home. The clinician ensured that emergency services were contacted, and the patient was rescued.

Our clinicians continued checking in with their patients to make sure they were ok and confirm that power was restored. This is the patient-centered care we all aim to achieve and is at the heart of what our clinical team does every day at Spiras Health. We don’t always have to contend with tornadoes, but our clinicians always focus on the specific needs of our patients and work to keep them healthy at home. We are extremely grateful to our clinical team and thankful our patients are safe.