Nonprofit Director and Future PA Delivers Critical Care During Natural Disaster

“We are fortunate as PAs to undergo extensive clinical training that equips us with the skills to adapt into any setting”

December 12, 2024

By Alex Morse

Toward the end of 2024, two hurricanes struck the Southeast region of the U.S. within weeks of each other, producing severe winds, eviscerating tornadoes, mass flooding, and carving hundreds of miles of destruction. PA student Youssef Motii worked tirelessly to steer resources and provide medical aid to the residents affected by these catastrophic storms.

In partnership with Direct Relief, Motii and his team at Oceana Community Health dispatched a fleet of mobile vehicles across Florida: Oceana’s Emergency Relief Disaster Response units. With the help from volunteers and partnered organizations, they were able to provide life-saving care, assist in search and rescue efforts, and distribute medical supplies and medications to those in need.

Delivering Care in the Eye of the Storm
As founder and executive director of Oceana Community Health and a PA student at Yale School of Medicine, Motii’s responsibilities in Florida were two-fold. As director, he oversaw care and resource coordination, hygiene and food supplies, and engaged local, state, and federal stakeholders to strategize and maximize relief efforts. As a PA student, he worked alongside the medical team to provide wound care, patient assessments, acute triage, and mental health screenings. He credits Jasmine Oberman PA-C, Nicole Schtupak PA-C, Tehila Sabo PA-C, and the distinguished APP team at Cleveland Clinic Florida for equipping him with the clinical training necessary to lend a healing hand.

“Versatility is symbolic of the PA profession, and we are fortunate to undergo extensive clinical training that equips us with the skills to adapt into any setting and serve as exceptional providers,” said Motii, who is expected to graduate PA school in 2025.  “In a resource-limited setting with unfamiliar patients, being able to paint the entire clinical picture for each patient confers an advantage to PAs, improving our judgement and enhancing the care patients receive.”

Motii and his team primarily encountered an exacerbation of chronic diseases due to lack of access to medication, including hypertension, COPD, diabetes, and end-stage renal disease patients who were unable to make it to dialysis. They also treated several lacerations, fractures, and wound infections. Each mobile unit was equipped with diagnostic equipment, POC testing, and triage supplies to cater to large populations. Volunteers worked in rotating 24-hour shifts to ensure patients always had access to care.

Despite their preparedness, their supplies were limited and they had to get creative when administering care. “Being removed from our conventional clinic setting encouraged us to be innovative and apply our training to engineer ways to optimize patient care,” Motii said. HVAC insulation foam pipes and plywood were utilized for splinting, shoelaces were used as torniquets, and stethoscope bells were used as reflex hammers. “Through perseverance comes progress, and our team was sure to exhaust every option to ensure no interruptions in patient care.”

The Vital Role of Presence and Patient Education
Motii and his team were able to bring medical attention and relief aid to over 300 community members. After Hurricane Helene, they visited an encampment of an unhoused woman who had type 2 diabetes and was insulin dependent. They delivered insulin and a mini refrigerator to keep it cold and advised her to seek shelter elsewhere. However, she refused to leave.

The team returned after Hurricane Milton’s fatal tornados to find her campsite destroyed—the fridge eviscerated, her clothes and belongings scattered and torn. Motii’s team was devastated and did not know if she had survived the storm or not.

Nineteen hours later, one of his team members found her in a gas station. She had abandoned her belongings and walked nearly five miles to find shelter with electricity and ice to keep her insulin cold.

“We were emotional, as this was a patient who previously neglected her care and was non-compliant, but through our persistent health literacy and patient education initiatives, empowered her to take an involved role in her health, prioritizing her medication over all of her belongings amidst this grave natural disaster.”

Experiences like these left a lasting impression and engrained in Motii how important the commitment to service is as a future provider.

“My involvement in these relief efforts taught me that no prophylaxis, no screening tool, and no risk calculator could prepare an individual for a natural disaster and the cascade of medical and mental health concerns it brings with it.” By adapting to this resource-limited setting and applying his knowledge to serve his community, he was able to personify the versatility of the PA profession. “I learned that in the acute setting, it becomes less about triage and bandages and more about presence: being there for the community—whether it be an open ear to listen, open arms to hug, or words of hope to carry them through the day.”

Shaping Medicine Through Experience
In addition to medical care, the team offered a wide range of disaster relief and community rehabilitation services. They held “Share You Story” focus groups to provide a safe space for community members to speak on their traumas and receive community support. They also led Q&A sessions for members to voice their concerns, as well as get information on aid efforts and electricity and water restoration updates.

They also provided food bank and hot meal services, and collaborated with organizations like DirectRelief, Americares, Heart2Heart International, and ProjectHOPE, to supply hygiene kits.

“It is experience that shapes medicine,” said Motii, who encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and embrace their education as a chance to challenge conventional norms and think critically. “We are gifted the opportunity to immerse ourselves in medicine, make mistakes and feel encouraged to get better, and rely on the support of our healthcare team every step of the way.”

Once he graduates, Motii hopes to work in emergency medicine to challenge himself to think critically, act acutely, and be prepared for future disaster relief efforts. He also plans on continuing his work with Oceana Community Health to provide patients with culturally-competent, patient-centered care.

Alex Morse is AAPA’s Communications Associate. She can be reached at [email protected].

You May Also Like
Grantee Spotlight: Fighting Diabetes with Healthy Lungs and Feet
PA Student and Veteran Austin Shinaberry is Passionate About Helping Other Veterans Access Their Healthcare Benefits
PA Lavette Shirley Elee Co-Founded a Women’s Health Nonprofit to Provide Vital Education to Underserved Populations