Stephanie Bergstrom:
CLASS OF 1967
Senn High SchoolClass of 1967
Chicago, IL
University of PhoenixClass of 2001
Fountain valley, CA
California State University - NursingClass of 1994
Los angeles, CA
Rio Hondo CollegeClass of 1980
Whittier, CA
Graeme Stewart Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Chicago, IL
Stephanie's Story
Life
ER nurse recalls Katrina mission Indio Sun Oct 15, 2007
If you're in an emergency situation at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, you may encounter Stephanie Bergstrom.
Bergstrom is a certified emergency nurse and director of emergency services. She manages the operations of the emergency room and Express Care unit used for patients with less urgent needs - including colds or the flu.
"I love the change, the constant new patients," said Bergstrom. "Every patient is different."
Bergstrom was one of the first in line to volunteer during the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005.
Bergstrom was working at Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia when the hurricane hit Louisiana on Aug. 29.
On Aug. 30, she was sitting in a meeting when Tenet, the hospital's parent corporation, sent a memo asking for volunteers to assist in the relief efforts.
She immediately volunteered.
On Aug. 31, Bergstrom and three other nurses flew to North Shore Regional Medical Center in Slidell, La., just across the lake fr...Expand for more
om New Orleans.
Knowing supplies at the hospital were limited, the nurses got resourceful after landing.
"We stripped the plane. We took gloves, paper towels, toilet paper, hand wipes," Bergstrom said.
For the week of their stay, there was no power or sewage service.
The elevators didn't function, making it it difficult to transport patients.
There was very little communication with the outside world, and everyone was required to stay inside the hospital.
Downed power poles, gangs and looting threatened the safety of everyone.
The hospital staff and volunteers slept on the floor.
Bergstrom and her crew filled in wherever they were needed - assisting with patients or helping maintain the day-to-day operation of the hospital.
"We were basically housekeepers," she said. "We made beds, emptied trash."
Bergstrom said the week she spent with relief workers, staff and patients at North Shore Regional Medical Center left an indelible mark.
"It was definitely a life-altering experience," she said.
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