From Crisis to Care:
When Relief Becomes a Lasting Mission

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, local medical volunteers sprang into action, setting up a field hospital at the Burnsville Fire Department to provide urgent medical care. With the nearest hospital over 20 minutes away—and many roads impassable due to storm damage—these volunteers played a critical role in the first phase of relief, ensuring that those injured received prompt medical attention.

In the weeks that followed, the field hospital continued to serve both residents and relief workers. It also underscored a pressing need: greater access to affordable healthcare in our community. Recognizing this, the team of medical volunteers who established the field hospital has been working tirelessly to keep it stocked with donated supplies and staffed by medical professionals, providing ongoing support to Yancey and Mitchell counties.

Now, their focus has shifted to a long-term solution—transforming this temporary field hospital into a permanent free clinic to ensure lasting healthcare access for our rural communities.

A Special Thanks:

We extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who established the field hospital and continue working toward sustainable healthcare solutions:

  • Alyssa Tilly, MD

  • Steve North, MD

  • Amanda Watts, RN

  • Lauren Chriscoe, ANP

  • Barron Bryant, DO

  • Carol Tyner, RN, CPSN

All funds donated to the Field Hospital fund will go directly to creating and sustaining a free clinic to enhance healthcare access to rural Yancey & Mitchell Counties.

A Look Inside Our Mission

@nytimes After Hurricane Helene hit, a group of doctors and nurses quickly built a field hospital in Burnsville, North Carolina, to tend to patients and provide them with medical care. Video by By Ang Li, Dillon Deaton, Axel Boada and Emily Rhyne / The New York Times. #Helene #Burnsville #NorthCarolina ♬ original sound - The New York Times

In the immediate aftermath of Helene, a team from The New York Times captured an inside look at our Field Hospital operations. You can watch the full video here or check it out on TikTok:

In October 2024, Governor Roy Cooper visited Burnsville while assessing damage from Helene and spent some time with our team at the field hospital.