News Release

Local Medical Professionals Deploying to Louisiana

In response to the demand for medical care in the Gulf Coast states battered by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita eight local medical professionals are reaching out to their Southern neighbors and will be deploying to Louisiana yet this week. Among the group are a pediatrician, as well as nurses experienced in cardiac care and emergency services.

On Monday, Oct. 3, Mercy Medical Center (MMC) answered the call for assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The local volunteers will fly to Baton Rouge for a two-week deployment to one of the four medical shelters that has been established as part of the relief effort.

Local medical professionals being deployed are:

Gregorio Lauz, M.D., pediatrician with Medical Associates
Toni Decker, RN, Emergency Department
Janice Lauritzen, RN, Cardiac Care Unit
Zita Blumhoff, LPN, Dialysis/Renal Medicine
Phyllis Kaufman, RN, OB/Nursery
Jean Morgan, RN, Emergency Department
Darla Neff, RN, Emergency Department
Cindy Burkholder, Cardiac Outpatient Unit

Mercy Medical Center – Clinton is proud of the volunteerism of its medical professionals, said Joan Noe, vice president of Mission and Professional Services. “Assisting those in need fits our mission and values of compassion, respect, concern for others, and stewardship,” she noted.

Cindy Burkholder looks forward to helping the hurricane victims. “I volunteered because I thought it would be a good experience to help people in this situation,” she said.

“My understanding is that we will be replacing nurses who have been there helping with the relief effort,” Burkholder shared. “Everyone has been very supportive of my going.”

Phyllis Kaufman put her name on the volunteer list after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast-area. She said, ”I thought it would be a different experience. I don’t know what my role will be yet.” Kaufman is hoping to work with mothers and infants.

Mercy Medical Center-Clinton is part of the Mercy Health Network (MHN), which includes four other Catholic, not-for-profit hospitals in Iowa. In addition to the Clinton hospital, the network includes Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines, Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque, Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, and Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City.

In all, 43 doctors and nurses from the five MHN facilities have been activated to form a health team that will staff a medical shelter for victims of the recent hurricanes.

MHN professionals from several hospitals also served on an Iowa Department of Public Health Disaster Relief Team and federal FEMA medical teams after the storms hit. Catholic Health Initiatives of Denver, CO and Trinity Health — Novi, MI, founded Mercy Health Network under a joint operating agreement in 1998. MHN employs an estimated 14,000 people at its five Iowa hospitals.

For more information, please contact Michelle Bradley, APR, Director of Marketing and Planning, at (563) 244-5786 or Julie Dunn, Marketing/Public Relations Specialist, at
(563) 244-3519.