After 25 years as an internist in Boise, Dr. Laura McGeorge retired from her medical practice and became a Red Cross disaster health services volunteer, joining a team of licensed health professionals focused on addressing the health needs of disaster survivors.

“You are helping someone on the worst day of their life,” Laura explained.

The disaster health services team responds to various local, regional and national disasters. They provide services such as replacing lost medications, eyeglasses and medical equipment and triaging clients’ medical needs. Sometimes clients are referred to the ER, urgent care, or the mental health team.

Laura did a virtual deployment during the Lahaina fires in Maui in August 2023.

“We were working 12 hours a day for two weeks, helping hundreds of people,” she recalled.

This work involved contacting local pharmacies and medical equipment suppliers to help families get the medications and supplies they needed. Laura and the team negotiated with suppliers and insurance companies, acting as advocates to ensure that individual needs were met promptly.

She also partnered with hospital discharge coordinators to ensure that hospitalized survivors were discharged to noncongregate shelters like hotels, had their medications and supplies and were checked on by boots-on-the-ground nurses upon arrival at the shelter.

Recently, Laura helped a family get necessary medical attention and stay together after a fire, despite the challenges of limited resources and transportation in the rural area.

“It was a heartbreaking situation,” Laura said, but she was able to be a critical helping hand to a family in crisis.

Like many Red Cross volunteers, Laura is a true community servant. Recently elected to the local school board, she continues to work to improve the lives and futures of others. Through her work with disaster health services, Laura is available to help people on their worst days — whether because of natural disasters, home fires, public health crises, severe weather events or community emergencies. Disaster health services also assist vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, disabled individuals and those with chronic medical conditions, during relocations and in shelter situations.

“She is my hero,” Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer Scott O’Connell said.

VOLUNTEER AS A RED CROSS NURSE

Want to volunteer with disaster health services or know someone who might be a good fit?

Red Cross is seeking health professionals to assist with people’s health needs in disaster shelters. If you are an RN, LPN, LVN, APRN, NP, EMT, paramedic, MD/DO or PA with a current and unencumbered license, this position could be right for you.

To learn more, send an email to IDMT.Recruiting@redcross.org or visit redcross.org/volunteer.