Memoirs of an ED Physician in a Tornado

But we really needed pain meds. I managed to go back to St. John’s with another physician, pharmacist, and a sheriff’s officer. Luckily, security let us in to a highly guarded pharmacy to bring back a garbage bucket–sized supply of pain meds.

At about midnight, I walked around the parking lot of St. John’s with local law enforcement officers looking for anyone who might be alive or trapped in crushed cars. They spray painted X’s on the fortunate vehicles that had been searched without finding anyone inside. The unfortunate vehicles wore X’s and sprayed-on numerals, indicating the number of dead inside, crushed in their cars – cars that now resembled flattened recycled aluminum cans the tornado had crumpled in her iron hands, an EF-5 tornado, one of the worst in history, whipping through this quiet town with demonic strength.

I continued back to Memorial Hall and worked into the early morning hours until my ED colleagues told me it was time for me to go home. I was completely exhausted. I had seen enough of my first tornado.

How can one describe these indescribable scenes of destruction? The next day, I saw news coverage of this horrible, deadly tornado. It was excellent coverage, and Mike Bettes from the Weather Channel did a great job, but there is nothing that pictures and video can depict that compares to seeing it in person. That video will play forever in my mind.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved in helping during this nightmarish disaster: my fellow doctors, RNs, techs, and all of the staff from St. John’s. I have worked there for approximately 2 years, and I have always been proud to say that I was a physician at St. John’s in Joplin, Mo. The smart, selfless, and immediate response of the professionals and the community during this catastrophe proves to me that St. John’s and the surrounding community are special. I am beyond proud.

To the members of this community, the health care workers from states away, and especially Freeman Medical Center, I commend everyone on unselfishly coming together and giving 110% the way that you all did, even in your own time of need. St. John’s Medical Center is gone, but her spirit and goodness lives on in each of you.

EMS, you should be proud of yourselves. You were all excellent, and did a great job despite incredible difficulties and against all odds.

For all of the injured who I treated, although I do not remember your names (nor would I expect you to remember mine), I will never forget your faces. I’m glad that I was able to make a difference and help in the best way that I knew how, and hopefully give some of you a chance at rebuilding your lives again. For those whom I was not able to get to or treat, I apologize wholeheartedly.

Last, but not least, thank you, and God bless you, Mercy/St. John’s for providing incredible care in good times and even more so, in times of the unthinkable, and for all the training that enabled us to be a team and treat the people and save lives.

Dr. Kikta works in the department of emergency medicine at Mercy/St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo. To see more photographs, click here.