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The tragic events of September 11, 2001 are all etched indelibly in our minds…and hearts. It is hard to believe that a full ten years have passed since that dark day changed all of our lives forever. Last week, as the anniversary of this catastrophe approached, I couldn’t help but think about where I was ten years ago when all of this played out. I remember September 11, 2001 started out as a beautiful morning. I left my home for an early meeting at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, N.J., where I served as president and chief executive officer. After our finance committee meeting ended, I lingered in the board room for a few minutes to talk with our chairman, Bill Watson. We were just finishing up our conversation when one of our physicians burst in to the room with the news that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center in New York City. Like many who heard this news, my immediate assumption was that it probably involved a small aircraft and I dismissed it in my mind as a tragic accident. A few minutes later, Taylor McCormick, who at the time served as the hospital’s chief financial officer, came into the room with the news that a second plane had crashed into the second World Trade Center tower. I remember feeling –instantly-that this could not be an accident. Like so many of us, I had a gut feeling that this had to be some sort of orchestrated attack. Realizing that our hospital was located just an hour from Manhattan, and right in the middle of the New York-Washington corridor, I immediately decided to call together the hospital’s senior team and we went into “disaster mode”. Rather than announcing our plans over the public address system, due to concern for the impact on our associates and patients, Sr. Marie Cecilia and I went floor to floor, department to department to call together the staff and let them know what happened. I also knew that, due to our close proximity to New York City, some staff members had loved ones who were working in NYC and were in harm’s way. Sr. Marie Cecelia and I gathered those staff members who may have had loved ones in NY and/or DC and supported them to go home. Our disaster team quickly mobilized the hospital to prepare for a possible influx of patients. The New Jersey Department of Health was preparing New Jersey hospitals to be inundated with the expected thousands of victims injured in the tower attack and subsequent collapse. Hospitals were asked to discharge all patients who could be safely sent home in order to prepare for the expected onslaught of injuries. At St. Francis, we gathered our lists of patients who could be discharged and waited for the Department of Health to call for further instructions. While, thankfully, tens of thousands of workers were able to safely evacuate the twin towers and surrounding buildings prior to their collapse, nearly three thousand people died in the attack and subsequent building collapse. Sadly, as we all know, relatively few individuals made it out for further care. The expected massive influx of injured people requiring hospitalization never materialized. At St. Francis, we received one patient in our emergency room…a fellow from out of town who was on business that day at the World Trade Center. As I recall, he escaped the building by following a waiter who knew a way out. He happened to work for a company whose executive’s wife was a nurse practitioner in our ER. He made it outside and then called the company president who instructed him to get on a train to Trenton and head to St Francis. He was in shock and covered with soot but unhurt. While St. Francis and most other hospital did not get a large surge of patients that day…we were all ready to handle any emergencies that came our way. And while we did not get the opportunity to save lives that day, I fondly remember how our colleagues pulled together to support one another during the days and weeks following 9/11. Even if we were fortunate enough not to lose a loved one or friend, our nerves were rattled and we felt so very vulnerable. Nobody knew what would happen the next day…or the day after that. It was during those first few days that we all took comfort and solace in our Core value of Community. We looked out for each other…and we came together as never before. The rest of that day and the days that followed are a blur. It was an excruciatingly difficult time. Hundreds of friends and relatives from our area worked in New York City; many of our local parishes were busy planning funerals and memorial services. Even with the passage of times, the pain is still there. Many of us lost family, loved ones or friends in this tragedy…or know someone who did. We have all changed. In a way, we have lost our innocence. Prior to September 11, 2001, most of us probably looked upon terrorist attacks as something that happened in faraway streets in distant lands. The thought of a large-scale, well-orchestrated attack on our homeland, using domestic airliners as guided missiles, was the stuff of novels. Now, our children and grandchildren grow up in a world that only too well knows how vulnerable we really are. Our ministry has changed, too. Over the years, we have worked, honed and improved upon plans that ensure we will be ready to meet the needs of our patients, residents, colleagues and communities in the event of disaster. Several of our facilities have been tested by natural disasters – hurricanes, earthquakes and floods – some of our RHCs experienced all of these in the last three weeks alone! Since 9/11, we have added and/or enhanced our capabilities to deal with man-made disasters as well, such as bio-terrorism, radiologic accidents and attacks, and other potential emergencies. While terrorism shows the dark side of human behavior, our response to this tragedy showcases our virtuous side. We honor the front line rescuers – firefighters, police officers, EMTs and others – who put their lives on the line to save others on that now-distant September day. We remember the victims through memorials, prayer services, and scholarships. We salute the men and women in uniform who have fought for and died for our freedom around the world. And I thank all of our colleagues throughout our ministry. Thank you for serving our patients and residents faithfully every day. Thank you for your efforts to improve and enhance safety and quality. And thank you for being a wonderful resource…there for your communities in bad times as well as good times. Thank you for always being ready, 24/7..just in case.
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