Nurse Manager Leads Duke Health Hurricane Relief to Jamaica
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When Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm last October, Jennifer Williams, a Duke Health nurse leader, watched the scenes of devastation unfold on her television through the lens of someone who had lived through it before.
Williams grew up in Kingston, the capital of the Caribbean island, and still remembers Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
“It really struck a chord with me because I actually lived through a hurricane where we were without water and electricity, and had difficulty getting food or medical supplies,” said Williams. “As I sat there watching the news, I looked at my husband and said, ‘We have got to do something.'”
Williams, a nurse manager of the neurology and spine step-down unit at Duke University Hospital, wanted to do something more than just a one-time personal donation. She didn’t have to search far to find a fellow native Jamaican motivated to help.
Ian Brown, chief community health and social impact officer for Duke University Health System, also grew up on the island. He helped organize a systemwide response to send relief from North Carolina.
“There was such tremendous support,” said Brown. “It made me feel incredibly grateful that I work for an organization that’s so mission‑oriented and wouldn’t hesitate on something like this.”
The Duke Health team coordinated with Jamaica’s Western Regional Health Authority and National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation to determine what medical centers in the hardest hit areas needed the most.
“This timely contribution has significantly strengthened our capacity to safeguard both patients and healthcare workers, ensuring the continued delivery of safe and effective care,” said Kerena Lloyd, acting senior administrator for the Western Regional Health Authority. “Partnerships such as this demonstrate the power of collaboration and shared commitment to strengthening healthcare systems, particularly in times of need.”
Five large pallets from the health system’s warehouse were packed with supplies to send to Jamaica. By February, the final shipment - containing personal protective equipment and vital monitoring equipment - arrived in Kingston.
Williams visited the warehouse on the day that last pallet left Durham.
“These donations carry hope, dignity, and reassurance to communities working to recover,” said Williams. “It took many hands, many hearts, and a shared willingness to act, and because of that, real help is reaching people during a very difficult time.”
In total, Duke Health was able to donate more than 21,000 masks, 28,000 aprons, 1,000 surgical gowns, and seven portable vital monitoring machines. The supplies will be distributed to health care facilities across heavily impacted western parishes, including St. James, Trelawny, and Westmoreland.