Shorepoint Health workers reflect on Ian one year later

For seven days following Hurricane Ian, Shorepoint Health in Port Charlotte was the only hospital within a nearly 30-mile radius that was open and accepting patients.

The storm put an unimaginable amount of added pressure on the hospital and its workers, but triaging emergencies is what these people do all day, every day. The ER staff planned for Ian before the first winds blew.

When the full brunt of Ian hit, a nearby hospital in Port Charlotte was severely damaged, making this one the last resort.

The hospital ultimately evacuated the ER, moving up three floors after taking in water, but the flood of patients came after the storm.

“We’re all emergency-type people,” said Briana Scimemi, ER charge nurse. “We all choose this as our specialty because we have the ability to kind of compartmentalize and really focus on what I have to do right now to help this person.”

A year later, the storm team is still together, standing strong.