NFCH and locals work together to open up CGH to house hurricane evacuees

Category 4 Hurricane Idalia caused significant damage in the Big Bend area of Florida with the massive storm hitting the region in the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 30. While many Floridians in the area had the task of evacuating from their homes until the storm’s true power and impact could be measured, many individuals in the medical field also had the responsibility of seeking safety for residents of nursing and rehabilitation facilities. A delicate and precious community that requires specific accommodations that are surely a challenge in the upheaval of evacuating an area business and local resident worked hard to give others a safe haven while being away from their homes.

Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center residents recently called Graceville’s historical Campbellton-Graceville Hospital their safe haven as the facility was used to house the Eden Springs residents after evacuation orders were placed for Wakulla County. While the hospital is no longer open, it was purchased by Northwest Florida Community Hospital which keeps the property up to date and the Graceville Clinic, located on the same property, open for residents including a walk-in clinic and a practice of the Graceville native Dr. John D. Byrd.

Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center is in Crawfordville, Florida, south of Tallahassee. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for all areas south of U.S. Route 98, low-lying areas, and for people living in vulnerable homes, leaving the Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center in the Red Zone of the orders.

Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center was notified by the emergency management team to evacuate at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, as forecasters expected the storm to make landfall early on Wednesday morning. In response, Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab’s administrator Tommy McDaniel and staff searched for shelter for all their residential patients and temporarily had one but after their evacuation plan to relocate to a church fell through new plans had to be made. The church they planned on evacuating to in Georgia was unable to accommodate enough room for all the Eden Springs residents to seek shelter together. While at the same time, Wakulla County could not open their shelters to the community because they could not withstand the potential effects of a category-3 storm, according to a news release sent out by Wakulla Emergency management.

The staff at Eden Springs Nursing and Rehab Center were relieved when they received a call from Northwest Florida Community Hospital employee and representative Diana Bush, offering the empty Campbellton-Graceville Hospital building to house most of the residents that were seeking shelter, though some of the residents were relocated to other facilities for their safety.

In such a challenging situation that required quick action, the Eden Springs nursing staff called the building a blessing before giving thanks to local emergency response personnel, with specific mentions of the Graceville Volunteer Fire Department and Northwest Florida Community Hospital for all their assistance and accommodations during such a trying time.

Director of Maintenance and Life Safety for Eden Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Ben Lovel commented to The Graceville News, “We just wanted to reach out and whole heartedly thank your community for the incredible response, work and compassion that your people blessed us with. The adjacent nursing facility went above and beyond in preparing for our arrival, and the local fire departments showed up in the middle of the night to assist us to offload two buses of residents. All was done with happy hearts and smiling faces that lifted our people in a time of need. In such chaos I regret that I can’t remember their names, but we will never forget your hard work and Grace you chose to give to strangers. Such a hectic and difficult time has only affirmed to me that we are not alone, God’s people are everywhere, and We are stronger together than I ever imagined. Once again, Thank You! And God Bless Graceville and it’s people!”

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