CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atrium Health deployed its MED-1 mobile hospital to western North Carolina on Tuesday to assist survivors of Hurricane Helene.
Activated by North Carolina officials, MED-1 will serve as a receiving hospital that can triage and treat patients who were injured during the storm. If necessary, the mobile hospital can transport patients to another hospital if more critical care is needed. In addition to MED-1, Atrium Health's helicopters have made dozens of trips to western North Carolina to transport patients and deliver supplies.
MED-1 is designed to provide comprehensive care on-site at natural disaster locations, mass casualty incidents or community events. It's the first of its kind globally and can be deployed within 24 hours of activation. The mobile hospital will be set up in Tryon, North Carolina, which is just north of the South Carolina line in Polk County.
The mobile hospital is self-sustaining for up to 72 hours and offers digital X-ray, ultrasound, lab and pharmacy services. It has 14 acute care beds and a two-bed operating room. The unit is supported by a team of Atrium professionals, including nurses, doctors, trauma surgeons, paramedics and other essential personnel.
Many of those who survived what was one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history were left without electricity or any way to reach out for help. Some cooked food on charcoal grills or hiked to high ground in the hopes of finding a signal to call loved ones.
“This has been an unprecedented storm that has hit western North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday after an aerial tour of the Asheville area. “It’s requiring an unprecedented response.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.