Hurricane Relief Efforts
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
In addition to these contributions, many employees worked front and center to support rescue and relief efforts during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The stories below highlight how collaboration and dedication helped overcome barriers in Texas and Florida for our customers and employees.
Kelly Bornstein, regional area manager of Nuclear Pharmacy Services at Cardinal Health – Tampa, FL
Cardinal Health never missed delivering a dose of medication in the West Florida region. If the customer was up and running, so was Kelly and her team. In times of incredible challenge, our empathetic, courageous and dedicated employees made impressive sacrifices of time and comfort to help our customers and each other.
Unlike many others in the area, Cardinal Health did not have to shut down. Our delivery drivers ensured time-critical, essential pharmaceuticals got to patients in need.
Before the hurricane hit, the Nuclear Pharmacy Services team at Cardinal Health proactively sent details to all customers on how to secure any nuclear products at their sites in case of evacuation or damage. They called each acute care center to help guide them through suggestions on how to address late deliveries, bulk doses, etc. to ensure they were prepared for the weekend and potential damage.
Maria Sobremesana, technical sales consultant of National Accounts at Cardinal Health, and Miki Stripling, pharmaceutical account manager of Acute Care Sales at Cardinal Health – Houston, TX
Teams coordinated an airlift from Dallas to Austin and on to Houston to get critical life-saving drugs to three key hospital customers in the Houston market. Our Global Security, Operations and Sales teams worked vigorously with local flight crews to transport approximately 100 totes to patients in need
During this very trying time, Cardinal Health employees showed their dedication and ongoing effort to meet customer needs in very challenging situations. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, Maria and Miki worked with employees in our Stafford, Texas distribution center to ensure deliveries got to where they were most needed. They then delivered a list of critical item orders in their personal vehicles to two local hospitals that evening.
Vince Lester, Sr. Analyst, IT Internal Audit at Cardinal Health – Dublin, OH
Vince, a former Army Ranger, drove for two days from Ohio to Texas and joined up with other fellow Rangers to help those impacted by the storm. They launched boats in the Beaumont and Port Arthur area, seeking those who needed food, water, medical attention or evacuation. They rescued civilians and animals for four days and nights, and were offered a place to sleep from locals filled with gratitude.
Maggie Baltz, Specialty pharmacy technician at Cardinal Health – Columbia, MD
A patient, who had to quickly leave Texas due to Hurricane Harvey, forgot his medication during his departure. He was very concerned because he could not afford to miss a dose. He called our specialty pharmacy and spoke with Maggie.
In reviewing his profile, she realized he did not have any refills remaining. Maggie sprang into action, calling the pharmacist to have an emergency prescription issued. Taking it a step further, when the claim came back “Refill Too Soon”, she immediately called the insurance company and obtained an override. She followed up with the patient to ensure his evacuation address was receiving UPS deliveries and set up the delivery.
Pam West, Manager, Nuclear Pharmacy Services at Cardinal Health – Houston, TX
While at home when the storm first began, Pam stayed in close contact with her five employees who were stuck in the pharmacy and unable to leave. Although they planned ahead with plenty of food and water, the time was extremely stressful. The very next day, Pam’s husband drove her to the pharmacy to help her employees find a way out.
After her employees safely exited the pharmacy, Pam took the responsibility of staying at the pharmacy for four days. With very little rest and a willing heart, she answered customer calls, employee calls and constantly altered her plan for how and when to re-open the pharmacy. Pam used a security mobile app to rescue an employee’s son who had gotten stranded at a gas station and had lost his car in the flood waters. She also rescued a kitten, affectionately named Harvey.
Rick Simpson, Director, Global Workplace & Corporate Real Estate at Cardinal Health – Houston, TX
Rick worked hard to assess the damages and report out on initial and future cleanup efforts at the Cardinal Health Enclave Parkway facility in Houston. Rick and his family also worked together to personally help those affected:
- Rick and his wife, Christa, hosted a family in their home who was displaced by the flood.
- Rick assisted a single mom, who lost everything in her home, which had over 3.5 feet of water running through it.
- Christa helped organize a local shelter, worked several shifts there and assisted the elderly with their FEMA paperwork.
- Rick’s son, Ricky, drove 300 miles from Fort Worth and worked for three days, helping floor victims “muck out” homes and remove debris.
During this very trying time, the Sales, Operations and Transportation teams ensured Cardinal Health provided vital products to patients in need. Regional and National Operations leadership coordinated quickly to deploy resources from across the country to travel into Houston and Grand Prairie. They ensured we had labor available to support displaced employees and increased volume into the city. Many employees from across the country gave up their Labor Day holiday to stay in Houston and Dallas to help those in need. Our partners at Penske, ServPro and BeavEx provided extra drivers and equipment to move product from Dallas to San Antonio and Houston at all hours.
Global Security Operations and Intelligence Center (SOIC) – Dublin, OH
This team closely monitored Harvey and Irma’s paths before, during and after they hit and provided intelligence reports to prepare the businesses and minimize as much harm to our people and facilities as possible. They implemented protocols to keep in consistent contact with those in the affected areas to assess their safety, as well as ensuring our facilities and the vital products inside were not compromised. The team also issued a security mobile app that sent accurate and guided navigation to employees in the affected areas to assist with safe routes for rescues and deliveries. This team did everything possible to continue operations to serve our customers and ensure the safety of our employees during the storms.
