How to Help With Hurricane Helene Relief

All MUSC Health locations are open and operating normally.

A Special Message from MUSC President Dr. David J. Cole

Dear MUSC Family,

Hurricane Helene has caused significant devastation along the southeastern U.S. coast, affecting states like Florida, North Carolina, and our own state of South Carolina. We are heartbroken to see our families and neighbors throughout the region reel from the destruction brought by this unprecedented storm. There have been a significant number of deaths, and many people are missing. Towns and cities, once vibrant, are struggling and people continue to try to connect with loved ones.

The Carolinas were especially hard hit. In South Carolina, communities in the Upstate were particularly affected and our neighbors in western North Carolina have experienced flooding never thought possible. We grieve for them all.

The National Guard, federal and state agencies, as well as disaster relief organizations, are working to assist all these areas. There is so much to be done.

Many members of our MUSC family have asked me what they can do to help. I want you to know that MUSC leadership has been in contact with our colleagues in the Upstate and surrounding regions and we stand ready to provide aid, as needed. Immediate support necessary is not medical in nature - restoring power, providing access, food and water are critical now.

We are in constant contact at the state and local levels and, if called upon, we are standing by to assist the local health systems caring for their communities.

From experience, the most effective way to help at the ground level is to support the organizations that have boots on the ground. Emergency response teams and various nonprofits are working tirelessly to provide aid in the hurricane-impacted areas. Highly-rated charities that are responding to this crisis can be found through this link: Charity Navigator. I encourage individuals to support these or other organizations of their choice.

Giving blood is another way to help. According to the American Red Cross, the hurricane has canceled numerous blood drives in the Southeast and thousands of donations can’t be collected at a time when they are most needed.

This won’t be a quick fix, people impacted will need assistance for days, months and years to come. I know we all want to do our part to help as we preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina and our neighboring states.

Thank you for caring enough to reach out and offering to help.

Yours in Service,

David J. Cole, M.D., FACS
MUSC President