Disaster Relief Deployments Take
Nurse Michael Piela Far Beyond the Clinic
Code 3. Emergency sirens scream and lights flash on the
deputy sheriff’s patrol car. Sansum Clinic RN Specialist
and EMT
Michael Piela is accompanying the officer on
a high-speed drive to quickly bring aid to an elderly man who
accidentally shot himself with a rifle. The situation arose while
Piela’s emergency medical volunteer team was being escorted
to a nearby city to offer disaster relief. Intense situations like
this are a way of life for Piela. “There is no greater cause than
saving a life, or significantly improving someone’s health
status,” he shares.
Piela’s routine work is at Sansum Clinic’s Ambulatory Surgery
Center in Santa Barbara, where he and a dedicated staff
provide care for a high volume of patients in a fast-paced
environment, which significantly ramped up during the
pandemic. “We work long shifts taking care of our patients
with a wide variety of health conditions and needs,” he reports.
Along with his clinic duties, Piela participates in emergency
and disaster medical service efforts through Disaster
Healthcare Volunteers of California (DHV), the American Red Cross, and the Medical Reserve Corps. Piela spent
96 days on COVID-19 deployment during 2020 alone,
volunteering more than 1,200 hours in leadership and
clinical roles for California task forces. In March of 2020,
he spearheaded a medical team for the United States Navy
Hospital Ship Mercy (T-AH-19), which was moored in the
Los Angeles harbor. The focus of the USNS Mercy was to
provide medical and surgical assistance for overwhelmed local
hospitals. “At times, we had to provide treatment and care
of COVID-19 patients around the clock for days until other
medical resources became available,” Michael explains.
In April of 2020, he signed up for 12-hour shifts in 100-degree
heat, in full PPE to support a large, drive-through COVID-19
testing operation at a federal medical site in Riverside County.
Immediately after this challenging assignment, he and other
volunteers headed to a rehabilitation and nursing center that
was overwhelmed by cases of the virus. This was a high-risk
assignment, before vaccines were on the horizon. “There
were lives at stake, patients needed care, and we were the only
medical resources available,” Piela describes. “There is no
question that we would do it all over again without hesitation.
We volunteered to make a difference, do our part in this
pandemic, and hopefully save lives.”
A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Piela has
successfully completed more than 20 training courses at the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Disaster
Preparedness (CDP) at Fort McClellan in Alabama, the
country’s most prestigious all-hazard training center, as well as
courses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). When he accepts a deployment with the DHV or other
organizations, Piela takes unpaid time off from Sansum Clinic.
He describes a deployment in October and November 2018,
when he volunteered with the American Red Cross in rural
Georgia and Florida after tornadoes, hurricanes and floods
caused widespread destruction and cut off small communities
from civilization. “I will never forget the smiles, tears of
joy and relief, and the gratitude from the victims and local
volunteers as they recognized that help had arrived,” he
recalls. “It is amazing how powerful a calm and friendly voice, a smile or holding a person’s hand can be, in addition
to providing emergency medical aid and patient care.” This
attitude, alongside all of Piela’s experiences and unique
education, are woven into his role treating patients at Sansum
Clinic’s Ambulatory Surgery Center.
Closer to home, Piela volunteers for the Santa Barbara County
Medical Reserve Corps. He has vaccinated thousands of
community members against influenza and now COVID-19.
He provides emergency medical care and first aid during local
disasters, large local community gatherings, events and festivals,
and distributes N95 masks when wildfires impact our air quality.
On his rare days off, Piela enjoys escaping into the Santa
Barbara back country on long hikes with close friends,
enjoying nature and searching for quiet and peace. He is
humble about his dedication to improving the lives of others.
He shrugs off the title of “hero” commonly given to healthcare
workers and emergency medical personnel. “In my opinion,
none of us chose to be heroes,” he says. “We just do what
we do best—take care of our patients with full commitment,
empathy and passion for our work.”
For the full story on Michael Piela, click here.
Photo Caption: Sansum Clinic RN Specialist
and EMT, Michael Piela