In much the same way as a picture on a paint-by-numbers canvas emerges, brushstroke by brushstroke, each action of each AdventHealth team member responding to Hurricane Milton’s destructive tear through Florida contributed to a larger portrait of what whole-person care looks like in times of crisis.
“You could not describe the footprint of AdventHealth Florida any more succinctly than what Milton has done in terms of the path that was projected as well as the path that was ultimately taken,” said Randy Haffner, president/CEO for AdventHealth Florida, shortly after operations began to return to normal. “All 30 of our inpatient hospitals were within that cone of possibility and all 30 went through the hurricane.”
Haffner added, “The facilities did amazingly well, and it’s because of the people inside the facilities, both in preparation as well as during the time” of and immediately following Hurricane Milton’s landfall on the night of Oct. 9 near Siesta Key on Florida’s west coast.
The numbers collected in the wake of the intense Category 3 storm tell a story of team member resilience and dedication to the organization’s mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. Perhaps the most life-affirming number of all: 99 babies delivered, including 60 in AdventHealth hospitals in hardest-hit West Florida.
AdventHealth’s unwavering commitment to providing whole-person care despite the chaos that reigned outside of hospital walls is further reflected in these numbers gathered from AdventHealth’s hospitals in west, central and east Florida:
- 5,559 ER visits
- 1,398 emergency surgeries
- 7,934 team members at work
- 634 doctors on call
- 2,019 free virtual visits
In addition, AdventHealth had 25,000 gallons of gasoline and 10,000 gallons of diesel at the ready to support team members with urgent fuel needs across all 14 hospital campuses in west Florida.
As the storm made its east coast exit, Haffner said, there was “a sacred moment to reflect what could have been and what we were able to weather. Through it all, the teams came together in such a way that we were able to safely care for patients and make sure we had a safe environment for our staff at the same time.”
