Ready. Prep. Go!

In the Season 3 finale, host Dennis Ren, MD welcomes back Rachel Sarafin, PPN's Director of Communications. Together, they pull back the curtain and share how the magic of Ready. Prep. Go!  comes together!  Listeners get an inside look at the exciting behind-the-scenes work that makes each episode a hit. Ren and Sarafin also chat with podcast producer Orlando Magaña about his experience on the sho...

Water: It’s essential to life, but it can also cause devastation during severe weather.  Brooke Gunderson, BSN, RN recounts the overwhelming flooding and infrastructure failure that she experienced as an emergency room nurse during Hurricane Helene in Boone, North Carolina.  The extreme conditions, which included the loss of power and water, forced families and the health care providers to improvi...

After a disaster, communities come together to rebuild, which may include relief assistance. However, it’s important that well-intentioned donations meet the needs of those who have been affected.  Kathy Lehman-Huskamp, MD, FAAP, FACEP, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and professor at the Medical University of South Carolina shares her experience during Hurricane Helene’s aftermath on the...

During Hurricane Helene, the Asheville, NC community experienced widespread devastation. Schools became important hubs of relief by providing necessities like food, water, and Wi-Fi, as well ascritical mental health support to students and staff. Melissa Hedt, Executive Director of Community Partnerships for Asheville City Schools, describes how administration, staff, and families used the unique...

The conversation continues from Season 2 with Mikey Latner, founder and Executive Director of Project:Camp.  In “Return to Camp,” Mikey discusses the organization’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in North Carolina. The pop-up camps established after the storms supported local children’s mental health by providing safe spaces to process emotions during recovery efforts with the collaborat...

Episode 3 of Ready, Prep, Go! Season 3, “A Long Way Home,” reveals the long and difficult recovery after a devastating hurricane. From documenting damage and filing insurance claims to managing debris removal and repairs, families learn that recovery is measured in months and years rather than days.  "A Long Way Home” highlights the emotional toll of recovery on children, and how routine and reass...

Episode 2 of Ready, Prep, Go! Season 3, “The Waterline” follows families and healthcare workers through Hurricane Milton. Making landfall just weeks after Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton adds to the exhaustion, damage, and uncertainty. Neighborhoods are still without power. Cars flooded by Helene are undrivable, and gas shortages make evacuations difficult. Meanwhile, hospital workers are still...

Episode 1 of Ready, Prep, Go! Season 3 follows St. Petersburg residents as Hurricane Helene defies expectations and delivers catastrophic flooding instead of another familiar near miss. Pediatric emergency physician and disaster response expert Dr. Beachgem (Meghan Elizabeth Beach Martin, MD) shares how repeated storms blur the line between professional duty and personal loss as her own home flood...

In Season 3 of Ready. Prep. Go!, host Dennis Ren, MD brings listeners to the front lines of Hurricane Helene through powerful firsthand accounts from those who lived and worked through the storm. The season examines how preparation meets uncertainty, how systems are tested under pressure, and how resilience emerges in the aftermath. Through candid conversations, Season 3 highlights the human impac...

In the Season 2 finale, host Dennis Ren, MD welcomes back Rachel Sarafin, PPN Director of Communications, to reflect on how the season delivered on its promise to go broader. They revisit powerful conversations with parents like Dawn Bailey and Kylie McElroy, who shared the real-life challenges of preparing children with complex medical needs for emergencies. The episode also highlights insights f...

In this episode, Dennis Ren speaks with Jahzel Gonzalez Pagan, M.D. about the vibrant culture and resilience of Puerto Rico, particularly in the face of natural disasters like Hurricane Maria. Dr. Gonzalez-Pagan shares her personal experiences during the hurricane, the challenges faced in healthcare delivery, and the innovative solutions that emerged in response to the crisis. The conversation hig...

Wounded Child, No Surviving Family (WCNSF) The latest episode of 'Ready. Prep. Go!' confronts a heartbreaking new acronym—WCNSF—that reflects the devastating reality faced by millions: over 400 million children are living in or fleeing from areas of conflict around the world. Join emergency medicine physician Denise Whitfield, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS as she shares powerful stories and hard-won insig...

This episode features Dr. Jonathan Kohler, MD, MA, chief of pediatric surgery at UC Davis Health and co-founder of the PATH (Promoting Accessibility to Healthcare) program, which focuses on improving care for neurodiverse patients. Inspired by his clinical work and personal experience as a parent of an autistic child, Dr. Kohler shares how PATH uses tools like social stories, pre-registration, and...

Christina Hernon, MD, FAAEM, an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, shares her experience as a spontaneous responder during the Boston Marathon bombing. The story highlights the often overlooked role of spontaneous responders and emphasizes the need for better preparation, debriefing, and support for those who find themselves thrust into such situations. For more resources about...

Dr. Magaña is a pediatric emergency medicine physician who cares for acute ill and injured children. She has special clinical interest in the the evaluation of children of acutely injured children. Her research and clinical expertise is evaluating and indentifying inflicted trauma. She has a passion for empowering other emergency medicien providers to care for children well. She is a frequent podc...

Derrick Tin, MD, describes a political rally interrupted by a suicide bombing in Pakistan, resulting in numerous casualties. The episode includes insights from Tin’s expertise in disaster and counterterrorism medicine and the challenges of triage systems in disaster situations, emphasizing the need for evidence-based approaches and mental health support for responders. For more resources about  te...

In the podcast episode “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore,’ guest Kylie McElroy, a patient and family engagement specialist at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, shares her personal experiences as a mother of a child with complex medical needs. The episode highlights how families like hers are often unprepared for emergency situations, such as evacuations, and the vital role of community support, family p...

Ally Liller and Jordyn Rayner, members of Kids Rainbow, share their experiences as part of a youth advisory council at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s in Cleveland, Ohio. They discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their lives, from isolation and boredom to the impact on their school and sports activities. The conversation also highlights their efforts in advocating for comm...

In this podcast episode, Dr. In Kim shares his experience during a cyber attack on his hospital in May 2023, which crippled key systems like electronic medical records, radiology, and lab access. He discusses the chaos and inefficiencies that arose as staff had to revert to manual, paper-based processes, highlighting the critical challenges faced by healthcare providers during such events. Dr. Kim...

Mikey Latner, the founder of Project Camp, which combines summer camp with disaster response to support children and families affected by crises, shares the inspiration behind Project Camp, emphasizing the importance of providing safe, engaging spaces for kids during disasters, and discusses the trauma-informed approach used in their programs. The conversation highlights the significance of addres...

Irene Navis, AICP, former Assistant Emergency Manager for Clark County, discusses the tragic events of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, which resulted in 58 deaths and over 750 injuries. She shares her firsthand experience of responding to the crisis and the long-term impacts on both victims and first responders. The conversation highlights the commu...

Dawn Bailey, a family engagement specialist and advocate for children with complex medical needs, discusses the challenges of disaster preparedness for families like hers. Dawn shares her personal journey caring for her daughter who has significant medical requirements, emphasizing the inadequacy of standard disaster preparedness checklists for families with unique needs. Dawn highlights the need...

Dr. Natasha Gill, MD, MPH, FAAP discusses disaster preparedness for families. Dr. Gill, a pediatric emergency physician, shares her experiences with various disasters and emphasizes the importance of preparing a disaster kit. Key tips include knowing local risks, creating a go-bag with essentials (water, food, first aid, and cash), and involving children in preparedness plans. For families with sp...

Dr. Dennis Ren, along with Season 2 co-host Rachel Sarafin, PPN’s Director of Communications, discuss the standout moments from the previous season. These include compelling narratives of pediatric disaster readiness and response during significant incidents such as Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Marathon bombing. The season also underscored the crucial roles played by everyday individuals and y...

Disaster medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach, similar to a team sport where diverse skills and backgrounds are essential. Ashley E. D. Kane, MD, MScR, a MedPeds-trained physician and a core faculty member of the Harvard Beth Israel Deaconess Disaster Medicine Fellowship, emphasizes the importance of infrastructure in disaster response and recovery, learned from her experiences in Guatem...