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Interview: Charles Figley, PhD &
Donald Post
Healthcare workers

It has been several months since the Level 4 Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding parishes. As clean-up efforts continue in areas damaged or destroyed by the hurricanes, medical personnel from near and far are still in the trenches. But what is the emotional cost of their work?

Many healthcare workers who have assisted or are still assisting hurricane victims suffer from compassion fatigue, the emotional fallout of working with suffering people, particularly survivors of a traumatic event.

Joining Sound Medicine to discuss the emotional toll these events can have on healthcare workers are Charles Figley, PhD, and Donald Post.

Charles Figley directs the Florida State University Traumatology Institute. He is also president and founder of the Green Cross Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that promotes understanding of immediate and long-term implications of stressful and traumatic events on individuals and communities. Dr. Figley is also author of several books on compassion fatigue.

Donald Post was a flight rescue emergency medical technician deployed to New Orleans. He is a former student of Dr. Figley. He is working on a career in trauma surgery.

Additional Resources:

• Visit the Green Cross Foundation Web site to learn more about Dr. Figley's work.
• The Traumatology Academy seeks to bring attention to this new field of study.
• The American Psychological Association provides information on staying emotionally strong after a natural disaster.

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