Locals gear up to help fellow Missourians in devastated Joplin

Missouri residents may have sent their prayers to Joplin, Mo., Monday, but organizations and communities statewide, including in Cape Girardeau and other parts of Southeast Missouri, were preparing to send personnel and supplies, too.

Before noon Monday, Landmark Hospital chairman Dr. William Kapp flew a private aircraft to the southwest Missouri city to deliver food and supplies to Landmark's sister facility that was untouched by a devastating tornado Sunday. At least 116 people were killed in the twister that damaged 2,000 commercial and residential buildings, including St. John's Regional Medical Center.

Renee Hesselrode, a Landmark Hospital compliance officer, said Kapp departed Cape Girardeau a second time around 2 p.m. Several Landmark nurses traveled with him.

The Joplin 30-bed, long-term acute care facility is operating on emergency generators, Hesselrode said.

"The distance between the Landmark in Joplin and St. John's is about the same as between us from Saint Francis," Hesselrode said. "The fact that they didn't have any damage is remarkable."

Following Kapp's second visit, Hesselrode said, the Joplin Landmark Hospital was securing fuel to keep a generators going in the facility. Hospital vendors that supply food, linens and pharmacy items have stepped up to support Landmark, she added.

Also on Monday, Cape Girardeau Public Works director Tim Gramling sent off five city equipment operators to help in debris clean up. Gramling said they've got chain saws and other important tools.

"As equipment operators, they can run front-end loaders, backhoes, excavators, most heavy equipment," he said. "When they get there, the supervisor will make an assessment and see what the needs are and if they need other equipment."

Other Southeast Missouri organizations, like the region's American Red Cross, are on standby but ready to assist if called upon by Joplin officials. Three of the Red Cross volunteers, who were in Southeast Missouri assisting with flood-relief efforts, were from Joplin, too, according to Jamie Koehler, emergency services director.

"They left before the sun came up this morning," she said Monday.

The Southeast Missourian was unable to connect with any of the volunteers Monday.

"Our Red Cross is assembling a leadership team that will be there to handle the disaster. We've alerted our volunteers that they may be needed in Joplin," Koehler said.

The Scott County Search and Rescue K9 Unit, a volunteer-based organization, is also prepared, when needed, to deploy to Joplin. The unit's captain, Marshia Morton, said they have friends in Joplin that they're in constant contact with. If they leave for the area, it'll likely be by Wednesday, she said.

"The FEMA dogs go in first. ... The recovery dogs go in after they do," she said. "There are a lot of recovery dogs in the area, but dogs are going to get tired and they're going to need to replace them with some fresh dogs. It's just a lot of devastation."

Both SoutheastHEALTH and Saint Francis Medical Center are cooperating with the Missouri Hospital Association and their plan to coordinate medical personnel and resources in the state.

Steven C. Bjelich, Saint Francis President and CEO, said the hospital has prepared to respond if needed with supplies and support.

"St. John's Regional Medical Center is a sister hospital in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese and the Saint Francis family is saddened by the destruction from this disaster," Bjelich said in a prepared statement.

SoutheastHEALTH president and CEO Debbie Linnes said she reached out to St. John's staff and board members soon after she heard of the disaster. Linnes moved to Cape Girardeau after working as the St. John's CEO from 2006 to 2008.

"When I saw the initial pictures, my heart just ached for the staff and the community knowing the extent of the devastation and what they had to navigate to do the best for their patients," Linnes said.

She said the fact that there were just five patient deaths is a testament to an emergency preparedness plan in place at St. John's.

"What I was pleased about was seeing how the organization handled such a devastating issue, how quickly they were able to evacuate a nine-story hospital building," Linnes said.

As part of a statewide mutual aid plan, fire departments in Southeast Missouri, including Sikeston, Kennett, and Cape Girardeau, are also prepared to help. They're prepared to dispatch 10 fire engines, other support vehicles, and crew members, if needed.

"We're prepared to go later in the week as initial crews there right now need relief," Ennis said.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

Joplin, MO

3255 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

211 Saint Francis Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

1701 Lacey St., Cape Girardeau, MO