President and CEO of Direct Relief in Florida to help with Hurricane Milton

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The president and CEO of the humanitarian organization Direct Relief
went to Florida in light of the historic Milton hurricane.

Thomas Tighe along with staff have been working with safety net
clinics in the region to provide ongoing support.

Staff are currently on the ground in Florida as well as North Carolina
to help provide supplies for the partnering clinics.

These supplies include antibiotics, essential medications, chronic
disease medications and medical kits.

One of the main concerns is with the large number of people who had to
leave their homes and may have left critical medications behind.

“My hope is that, you know, we don’t get our attention diverted again,
because we know these events are riveted attention for days, and then
they’re over, but the bounced back period for communities that are hit
… it goes on for years … particularly for community’s most vulnerable
below income areas," said Tighe.