The past few days are among the most difficult the Lifepoint family has ever faced. Our teams across parts of North Carolina, Virginia and Florida have been caught in the extreme devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Roadways, water systems, power lines, homes and businesses in a dozen of our communities have been destroyed.
Our people on the ground are still very much in a critical response mode, working to restore power, internet and systems and ensure access to clean water, food and supplies, while assessing unimaginable damage from high winds, heavy rains and flash flooding. Recovery from this storm will take many months, and we are unlikely to know its full toll for a long time.
I’m so grateful to our team members in North Carolina, Virginia and Florida who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support one another and who have collaborated seamlessly, sharing information and resources to protect our employees, patients and neighbors. Their quick responses, ingenuity and dedication have saved lives and offered hope to so many.
I’m also grateful to our Health Support Center and Eastern Division teams who mobilized so quickly at the end of last week and who have been working around the clock to support our colleagues from afar.
Our hearts go out to all of those who have lost so much these last few days. Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina has called Helene’s aftermath “an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response.” Indeed, it is, and I hope our nation will unite and mobilize to support regions ravaged by this storm.
In addition to supporting regional recovery efforts over the next several weeks, we will be helping our team members who have been impacted by Helene to access support through our Lifecare Fund, which we established in 2010 as a safety net for employees experiencing serious financial hardship from unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances.
I encourage everyone to support Helene recovery as they can.
Sincerely,
David M. Dill
