The article “Operation Lifeline: Health Care Professionals from Maryland Respond to Hurricane Katrina” by Lt. Col. (MDDF) Richard Colgan, Maj. (MDDF) Kisha Davis, and Col. (MDDF) Robert Barish recounts the Maryland Defense Force’s historic first out-of-state deployment to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It describes how, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), Governor Robert Ehrlich mobilized 250 medical volunteers—doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, and support staff—who were sworn into the Maryland Defense Force to provide medical care under military command and protection. Upon arrival, the team established Operation Lifeline, converting the abandoned Meadowcrest Community Hospital into a functioning command center and setting up six outreach clinics across the parish, many without power or running water. Working alongside the Maryland National Guard, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, they treated over 6,300 patients for injuries, infections, medication shortages, and chronic illnesses, while also distributing food, water, and tetanus vaccinations. The mission demonstrated the efficiency and value of a structured, military-led volunteer medical response and served as a model for how state defense forces can coordinate with public health and emergency agencies during major disasters to deliver effective humanitarian aid and restore essential services.
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