Madison VA Provides Critical Support Across Nation
Staff at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital provide critical support to facilities across the Nation by volunteering to take part in the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS).
DEMPS is a national VA program that is designed to provide emergency medical support in response to a national disaster or VA emergency. DEMPS volunteers provide critical skills needed to maintain continuous healthcare service in a disaster area when requested by the national VA Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
Dave Larson, the Emergency Management Director and DEMPS Coordinator at the Madison VA, has been running the program since 2017. When he started, the program included 35 people, today the roster has risen to 229.
In 2017, Madison participated in 23 deployments, mainly to Puerto Rico and Texas as part of Hurricane relief efforts. In the past 12 months, the hospital deployed staff 36 times to 12 locations for Hurricane Ida support and COVID relief.
Often working in austere conditions, these staff are willing to leave home and work 12- hour days. Some locations require longer shifts.
“Typically, a deployment is 14 days,” said Larson. “But you can extend, and we had one person deploy for 28 days.”
The Madison VA hospital is a leader in the region and the staff they send are consistently praised for their skill and professionalism.
“Our employees at the Madison VA Hospital and clinics really stepped up to the plate when it comes to deploying staff to help with disaster relief efforts,” said John Rohrer, Hospital Director. “We were by far the biggest contributor in our region, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
“Selfless service is already part of the culture within the VA,” Larson stated. “The success of this program wouldn’t be possible without it.”
By developing a comprehensive plan to handle the COVID patient needs for the past year locally, the hospital was able to provide support to other sites through the DEMPS program once local COVID outbreaks were under control.
While DEMPS support is primarily medical, any staff member can sign up for the program, with opportunities for administration, logistics and other personnel.
Casey “Frankie” Karns-Van Lieshout, a registered respiratory therapist, has deployed with DEMPS 3 times: all to provide support for COVID patients who needed acute care.
“My first two deployments were to the Milwaukee overflow field hospital at the fairgrounds in April and November of 2020,” said Lieshout. “The building where we had the patients was all open air and everyone had COVID, so we had to be in PPE the whole time we were there.”
Her most recent deployment was to the Little Rock Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Arkansas in September of 2021. At the time that hospital was also treating civilians as part of the VA’s Fourth Mission to assist with hospital overflow in the area.
“That was a real surprise,” said Lieshout. “That’s the first time I’ve seen that in my career.”
Assigned the night shift with fellow DEMPS volunteer and Respiratory Therapist Chris Fox from the Tomah VA, the two worked twelve 12-hour shifts in a row.
DEMPS Volunteers typically can only find housing far away from the work location, requiring an early wake up, busing to the work site, working 12 hours or more, and taking a bus home before going immediately to bed, just to do it all over again the next day.
“It was very challenging,” said Lieshout, “but we formed a strong friendship from having to work in such a tough environment together. We were each other’s cheerleaders.”
Lieshout wasn’t surprised by the great need for her specialty because COVID is respiratory disease.
“I’ve been in health care for 21 years,” said Karns-Van Lieshout. “These last two years have been tough, but I’m proud of what I do. I feel like people get into the health care profession to help people.”
Lieshout’s resilience is indicative of the DEMPS volunteers from the Madison VA.
“I’m inspired by the quality of the people we send, the job they do, and the positive feedback I receive,” said Larson. “Our support is consistently viewed as outstanding, and it makes me proud to be a member of the Madison VA.”
For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov or www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.