HPAE nurses head to US Virgin Islands for health screenings of students following hurricanes
Taken from Tap Into Hackensack, April 10, 2018
On Sunday, a group of more than two dozen nurses affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, including several Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) nurses living and working New Jersey, headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands for an important 5-day health mission.
Laura Iacometta, of Rochelle Park, volunteered to go as soon as she heard the trip was being organized. “It’s devastating to hear of the struggle these islands are facing after hurricanes swept through months ago. I’m a retired nurse and my union, HPAE asked for help so I jumped at the chance to assist. It’s unfortunate that more people don’t know that their fellow Americans are suffering. We should be doing more.”
Recovery efforts in the Virgin Islands, following Hurricane Maria last year, have practically gone without mention. The devastation, often resembling battered areas of Puerto Rico, is widespread, across homes, schools and once-vibrant communities.