[Ashlyn Westmoreland]

1.) Sherri Fink put a lot of work in to get the information to write this book. Just the interviews themselves were very time consuming due to the volume of them. I’m sure she struggled with keeping all the information in order and chronological. When it came to writing the book I would assume she struggled with giving information as well as making the people she interviewed feel heard. Also I’m sure she wanted to make sure she added as much details as possible from these interviews so she could give the most accurate description of the dilemma and what everyone experienced.
2.) The prologue raised a lot of questions for me. My biggest question is why they changed the order of priority when it came to saving lives. In the medical field traditionally the patients in the most critical need get cared for first but instead they decided to evacuate the healthiest people and leave behind the ones that were in need of the most care. Also, why wasn’t the hospital more prepared for this. A hospital is suppose to be a safe place. Not only is it suppose to be a safe place but this area isn’t new to natural disaster so you would think they would prepare for that in the construction and central supply need when designing this hospital. I don’t know what I would do or think if i was in this situation. Personally, I believe no one know what they would do in any situation nevermind an unexpected crisis till they’re in it.
3.) Medical staff such as doctors and nurses were exempt from mandatory evacuation as well as end of life or DNR patients. The medical staff were told to stay behind to take care of the patients until the plan changed fore them to be left behind. The “Old Knowledge” was that they wouldn’t be prepared for this dilemma as storms like this had happened before and they already know the pumping system and electrical units wouldn’t be able to handle the storm.

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