College of Medicine

Oct. 16, 2018

In the past week, some at the College of Medicine have seen trees slice buildings in two. Some have lost family homes to ferocious winds. Some have gone days without air conditioning or news from the outside world. Some have lost a refrigerator full of food and can’t afford to replace it. More than one person experienced a death in the family.

Yet on Monday the College of Medicine family returned to work, even if resuming a sense of normalcy will take some time.

Many College of Medicine alumni physicians in the Panhandle have seen firsthand Hurricane Michael’s impact on patients and the communities in which they live. We are proud of the work they are doing to attend to health-care and psychological needs. This college was built on a mission to be responsive to community needs, and that resolve has never been stronger than under these extraordinary conditions.

Within the college, some students are among those who experienced a loss of food during an extensive power outage (a number of our faculty and staff were still without power as of Tuesday). To help them, the college established a food pantry, while also taking steps to reinforce awareness about available wellness support.

Even more students have stepped forward to ask, “How can we help?”

A number of Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) are launching community projects specifically focused on hard-hit areas in the Panhandle, where so many of our students, faculty and staff or their families live – including Bristol, Hosford, Panama City, Gadsden County and Marianna, the North Florida epicenter of our rural program.

If you also are wondering how you can support the efforts being undertaken by the College of Medicine and Florida State University, or to assist those students who have been forced to seek temporary or permanent new housing, here are some options:

• Make a contribution to the College of Medicine fund supporting RSOs: Use this link – Giving – or visit med.fsu.edu/give and choose MedSHOTS (F07525) in the dropdown menu.
• Visit fsu.edu/michaelrelief for instructions about other ways to give aid and to volunteer.

This somber occasion provides an opportunity to also give thanks that we are part of a College of Medicine centered on a mission of togetherness and service. We thank you for being a part of our family.
 

-Dean John P. Fogarty, M.D.

-Senior Associate Dean Alma Littles, M.D.