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From Orlando Sentinel

KILLER TORNADOES: THE AFTERMATH

Damage to DeLand clinic forces scramble for health care

Tanya Caldwell | Sentinel Staff Writer
February 5, 2007

DeLAND - Health officials today will be sending thousands of patients to clinics across the county because Volusia's largest public-health clinic was smashed during Friday's tornado strike.

That means many of the clinic's patients may have to drive more than 20 miles from the DeLand clinic to one in Pierson for Volusia County Health Department prescriptions.

About 16,000 people, including many low-income residents, are patients at the DeLand clinic. Other public clinics are in Deltona, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach.

Perrie Moore of DeLand will have to get a ride to Deltona this week.

"I have an appointment at 9 a.m. [in DeLand] on Wednesday," said Moore, 18. "Hopefully they'll take me in Deltona."

Moore lives within walking distance of the DeLand clinic and her job at the Dollar General, which is in the same shopping plaza and was also hit.

The rubble from their rooftops is scattered along her relative's house across the street from the plaza.

Officials from the Volusia County Health Department spent Sunday morning retrieving more than 16,000 medical records from its 30,000-square-foot building on U.S. Highway 17-92.

"We were trying to salvage what we could," nursing director Synthia Williams said outside the complex Sunday. "There are lots of things in there that we can't get to because some of the walls are not stable."

The complex was home to a number of services, including prenatal care and women's health, primary care for children and adults, immunizations and a pharmacy.

Now that it's gone, health department officials are redirecting the DeLand patients to other sites across the county. Patients who need prescriptions, they say, can go to Pierson. Those with HIV and AIDS should head to Daytona Beach. Anyone needing an immunization should go to Deltona.

The good news is that none of the services will be disrupted, officials said. The bad news is that there's no telling how long it will take to replace or restore the DeLand clinic.

"The whole building has been totally devastated," Williams said. "I don't know how long it's going to take. It's an awesome job."

Cleanup crews filed out of the complex with boxes full of records. Williams said the records would be frozen so officials can extract the moisture out of them.

Votran may start a special shuttle service to the beachside if there are enough patients who need a ride to the clinic, said Dr. Thomas Coleman, the health department's director. And they may work with local pharmacies in DeLand to get patients their prescriptions, he said.

Officials will start working on a more permanent solution this week, Coleman said.

Tanya Caldwell can be reached at tcaldwell@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7910.

Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel

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