Dr. Hana Safah, medical director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Tulane University Medical Center, reports that "we are in control" and recovery efforts are moving faster than expected.

The medical center, including the transplant unit, remains closed.  The BMT patients were relocated to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and to Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, La.

As for Dr. Safah, she is working from a house in Morgan City, 78 miles southwest of New Orleans.

Dr. Safah said that eight patients were in the unit when word arrived that Hurricane Katrina might pass through New Orleans.  They were able to discharge four of the patients before the storm, but the others including one pediatric patient were undergoing active treatment and had to remain in the unit when the wind and rains arrived on Sunday evening.

Sixth Floor Unit

"The first thing we did was make sure that we had enough staff to sit out the storm with the patients. Then we moved the patients and supplies away from windows," she said.

The BMT unit is located on the sixth floor and escaped flooding, although the floor immediately above did flood because of broken windows and wind-driven rain .

The hospital continued to operate with back-up electrical power until Tuesday afternoon when the floodwaters rose to the level of the generators.  After that, the nighttime and interior-room lighting was flashlights and candles.

With the loss of electricity came an end to the air filtration and cooling.  The BMT unit became unbearably hot, and the patients were moved to another suite.  The hospital pharmacy had to be relocated from a lower level to temporary quarters on the fourth floor, but there were no computers to help with dispensing medications.

An emergency communications center was established with limited land-based and cellular phone connections to the outside world .

Patients Prioritized

Evacuation came on Wednesday morning.  Patients throughout the hospital were prioritized with those in the ICU units removed first.  The BMT patients were close behind.  Dr. Safah had her first ride in a military helicopter.

The BMT patients who were discharged before the storm returned to home communities – Baton Rouge, Alexandria and Lafayette – and all currently are in the care of their primary oncologists.  Dr. Safah has been keeping in touch with patients and their physicians by phone but mostly by fax.

She said that Tulane is in the process of evaluating temporary facilities near Greater New Orleans area to resume hem-onc and transplant services in the near future.

Dr. Safah said that she can’t think of anything she needs at this moment from her BMT colleagues across the country, other than their thoughts and encouragement, but does want her temporary telephone number and cell phone number listed so that patients can keep in touch.  Dr. Safah can be reached at (985) 385-2074 or by cell at (504) 430-6594.

 Updated 9/20/05