“I was blown away by the camaraderie of just random people in the community helping each other. These people’s lives were changed irreparably.” –Brett Curtis, PA-C
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, emerging from the images of its destruction and devastation in Western North Carolina, were stories of heroes and community members coming together as neighbors. One of these stories is of Brett Curtis, a physician assistant (PA) who recently responded to medical relief efforts in Asheville due to his unique involvement as a reservist with the National Disaster Management System (NDMS). He goes on to explain how his roots as an emergency medical technician (EMT) led him to get exposed to the NDMS and the ways in which PAs can serve in this unique capacity.
Prior to studying to become a PA, Brett was an EMT in South Carolina for six years from 2012 to 2018, where he first got introduced to the NDMS and the role they played in disaster relief and recovery.
“I was exposed to the idea of NDMS back when I worked in EMS and Critical Care Transport,” he shared. “In 2016, there was substantial flooding in Charleston, SC. The state stepped in and said that we needed to mobilize as many ambulances as we could to help mobilize patients in the flood zones, and I was involved in that effort. We get there, and we quickly realized that the state’s resources would be exhausted pretty quickly.”
“The state then filed for federal resources to help us out. That’s when a large number of NDMS reservists – PAs, NPs and paramedics, for example – were sent to help take patients out of the flood zones. After I got to know the people involved and worked alongside them, I made a promise to myself that if I graduate PA school, I would join this organization to make a difference at ground zero,” PA Curtis shared.
After speaking about the role with fellow members of the NCAPA, PA Curtis made good on his promise and signed up to join when he became a PA, noting how he felt his years of emergency medicine bolstered his application. Upon joining, he shared, “the time frame from which you are selected, to when you are deployed may be up to a year or two.”
NDMS assignments are given when certain events occur, from natural disasters, man-made disasters, staging for potential disasters, patient transport events, and more. “Common ones are natural disasters, only because those tend to overrun state resources, which would trigger a request for federal aid, and so on,” PA Curtis explained.
Which is what recently led to him being deployed to Asheville in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
“Along with many other teams, my team, South Carolina 1 (SC1), was assigned to Hurricane Helene,” he explained. “They had to be very strategic with how many individuals they sent, so as not to drain any resources that the city may be struggling to keep up with. I volunteered my time during the weekends and filled in whenever there was need.”
The scene of the situation after Hurricane Helene had initially left him in shock.
“You’re driving up there, and as you approach Hendersonville/Asheville, the roads get progressively worse. There’s more fallen trees and powerlines. Hendersonville has no power; people are walking everywhere. In Asheville, there’s water truck after water truck. National Guard equipment is everywhere, helicopters are above you – and it felt like entering a combat zone. That was a shock to the system, that something so close in proximity to me, could be so devastated.”
PA Curtis offered his extensive PA training and emergency medicine expertise, and provided medical screening exams, helping people that had no access to urgent care or family medicine at the time, and filling in gaps in coverage. Hurricane Helene was PA Curtis’ first assignment, after having been recently greenlit for assignments upon joining in August 2023. He encourages others, especially PAs, to learn more about getting involved with the NDMS.
This definitely needs to get talked about more. It’s a different path, but still incredibly fulfilling.” –Brett Curtis, PA-C
These days, PA Curtis spends his time as a PA in academia, with his role as faculty at Wingate University. Prior to this, he spent most of his time in Emergency Medicine, practicing at Atrium Health Cleveland in Shelby, NC, having also taught the future generation of PAs at Gardner-Webb University. He has also enjoyed his time as a preceptor, stating, “I quickly learned that the teaching portion of my job is one of the more fun parts, after my time precepting students in the ER.”
In his free time, Brett Curtis enjoys woodworking, which he says is his favorite pastime. “Most of the furniture in my house, I made!” He also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and hanging out with his family.
