1. What struck me most about Pou’s arrest was her query, “What about my patient?” After a hard day of operating, she begged permission to change into new scrubs at the point of arrest because she was so committed to her job, valued it, and respected it. She was still aware that her patients’ needs came first.

When I considered everything she endured—working tirelessly, giving up valuable time, and attempting to make patients comfortable—I felt horrible. And yet, she was still sent to prison. She is attempting to avoid being charged with second-degree murder in the first degree because, according to the state’s definition of the more serious crime, killing more than one person of any age or a person older than 65 would qualify. One prosecutor has requested that the charge be increased from second-degree murder to first-degree murder in this case.
She must have had negative emotions, been disappointed, and regretted everything.

2. Rick Simmons emphasized that Anna Pou had not been charged formally and that Eddie Jordan, the district attorney for Orleans Parish, had the authority to bring charges. Simmons held up a copy of the affidavit, saying, “It’s just a piece of paper with the allegation on it.” Mr. Jordan had agreed to meet with Simmons and present any evidence he might wish to present. It has two sides, just like every sheet of paper. This means that unless Simmons delivers any evidence to Orleans Parish district attorney Eddie Jordan, the issue of innocence or guilt cannot be resolved.

3. Good coordination and proper communication, learning adaptive skills, and having the capacity to work with people, empathize, and pro-actively come up with solutions are all ways that someone might build the competence needed to provide leadership during a crisis. The organization can successfully advance through a crisis thanks to these characteristics.

4. Charity Hospital fared much better during the hurricane because all of the staff were united and committed to the job. Staff continued to provide medical care to patients in their rooms until the end, despite similar or even worse conditions of existential threat. The employees credited the resilience to a number of factors, including morale building. Leaders held meetings every four hours in the lobby for everyone from doctors to janitorial, and they were known for their bravado. Almost everyone has had to find inventive solutions to all-too-common resource limits. The sickest patients were removed first rather than last, and they utilized their resources to keep critically ill people alive. Charity officials also avoided labelling a group of patients as being too sick to save.

The lesson can be learned from the hospital official who prepared for a Category Three hurricane and levee failure by purchasing several portable generators, oxygen-powered ventilators, and a ham radio system using federal preparedness funds made available following the 9/11 attacks. Security guards at the hospital had received specialized training in crisis management, and charity workers continued to maintain the hospital’s routine despite the peculiar circumstances.