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GEMCASTWelcome to GEMCAST! Shownotes and more info are a Author: Christina Shenvi
Welcome to GEMCAST! Shownotes and more info are available on https://gedcollaborative.com/resources/?typepodcast. GEMCAST is a Geriatric Emergency Medicine Podcast created to help clinicians, nurses, or paramedics who take care of older adults, particularly in the Emergency Department setting. Welcome! I'm your host, Christina Shenvi. You can connect with me on twitter @clshenvi Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast or website as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast or website. Under no circumstances shall this podcast, website, or any contributors to it be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast. Furthermore, this podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing standard of care in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast. Language: en Genres: Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Fire, Flood, and Fragility: Disasters Through a Geriatric Lens
Thursday, 2 April, 2026
Dr. Stephen Gamboa is an Adjunct Associate Professor at UNC and medical director of UNC Health Pardee's emergency department in Hendersonville, North Carolina. In today’s GEMCast episode, he shares his first-hand experiences from two major natural disasters: the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California and Hurricane Helene, which hit Western North Carolina in 2024. As he joins host Dr. Christina Shenvi, the two talk about how these events have a disproportionate impact amongst our frail older patients, which can be attributed to age-related comorbidities, reduced mobility, and higher care needs. Tune in and hear a variety of innovative solutions brought about by the various challenges that these major events can pose. The immediate impacts of natural disasters, such as smoke inhalation and needing to rapidly evacuate homes and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), are just the tip of the iceberg. Older patients with decompensation or exacerbations of chronic conditions made up a large proportion of the increased demand on EDs following these disasters. Coupled with power outages, electricity shortages, no internet connectivity, and pharmacies closing, Dr. Gamboa describes how his team had to adapt quickly and how system-level support from UNC during Hurricane Helene, including staff, equipment and transport, was crucial to providing care to these vulnerable patients. Find more information about this topic at https://gedcollaborative.com/resource/falls/fire-flood-and-fragility-disasters-through-a-geriatric-lens/ . GEMCAST is a Geriatric Emergency Medicine Podcast created to help clinicians, nurses, or paramedics who take care of older adults, particularly in the Emergency Department setting. GEMCast episodes, show notes and recommended resources can be found on the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC) website at https://gedcollaborative.com/resources/?type=podcast.
