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 Home > MRC Spotlights > Volunteer Spotlight - January 2006
MRC Focus and Activities The focus of the Northeast Missouri Medical Reserve Corps (NEMO MRC) is to supplement existing community emergency medical resources and contribute to meeting the public health needs of the community. Volunteer Personal Information Dr. Toni Smith is an anesthesiologist at the Northeast Regional Medical Center (NRMC), an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, and Chair of the Surgery Division at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU). She also is a member of the Missouri State Board of Healing Arts. How Long has the Volunteer Been With the MRC? Dr. Smith has been with the NEMO MRC since it began in September 2003. What did the Volunteer do to be in the Spotlight? The MRC unit Project Coordinator, Carmen Stanton, describes Dr. Smith as someone who is very dedicated to her work and is involved in several organizations. She is a volunteer who truly wants to make a difference. For instance, Dr. Smith did not view her deployment to assist with the Hurricane Katrina response as a choice—it was something she felt had to be done to help others in need. Dr. Smith deployed for 2 weeks to Mississippi via the MRC to support the American Red Cross (ARC). Dr. Smith's deployment and her eloquence at discussing her experience garnered a tremendous amount of publicity for the NEMO MRC throughout Missouri. The local TV station interviewed her by phone while she was deployed. Her story was also published in ATSU's alumni magazine. What Experiences has the Volunteer Encountered as a Member of the MRC? Dr. Smith spent time in three different areas of the Gulf Coast and found that the ability to be flexible made for a positive experience. She provided first aid care at ARC service centers, which allowed her to see people that were in great medical need and found it fulfilling to render care at the front lines of the disaster. It allowed her to use skills that she would not typically use as an anesthesiologist in the operating room environment. A highlight of her experience in the Gulf Coast was making a difference in the lives of people she treated. It could have been something as small as finding medication to treat a woman’s burns or spending an entire day on the phone attempting to find a physical therapist for a man that was a quadriplegic. Dr. Smith found it very gratifying. Another highlight working with such positive volunteers from various backgrounds and learning their motivations for volunteering, as many of them had never before volunteered in a disaster. Dr. Smith describes her experience as the most rewarding and life-changing event of her life. She loved every minute of it. Dr. Smith recalled when she, accompanied by fellow team members, chose to take their day off to treat people in need of care in Biloxi, Mississippi. Along the way, they encountered a church service being held on the street, because the church had been destroyed in the hurricane. The people were dancing and singing with such joy. Dr. Smith found it very moving to see how people’s lives were devastated by the disaster, but they rose above their loss. Interesting Facts Dr. Smith and her husband are both physicians. They have two children and are currently expecting their third grandchild. As an anesthesiologist, Dr. Smith enjoys teaching students, interns, and residents and practicing her specialty at NRMC. Dr. Smith has given numerous presentations about her experience in the Gulf Coast and has been asked to give a presentation at the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons conference. Last Updated on 4/23/2009 |
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