Hurricane Maria Response in Puerto Rico

The scale of Maria's destruction was devastating, plunging 3.4 million people into humanitarian crisis. The powerful storm plowed across the island with strong winds, uprooting trees, razing infrastructure and cutting off electricity; clean water and food became limited for many. Maria's toll rivaled Katrina; most healthcare infrastructure was demolished, and what was left was overburdened beyond belief.  In the immediate wake of Hurricane Maria, Alexis Schmid DNP, MPH, MSN, RN was dispatched to Puerto Rico as part of a US federal medical disaster team. Lexie was tasked with various missions during the response, including door to door medical visits, caring for wounded and ill patients in field hospitals and transport of the critically ill in partnership with U.S. Army staff.