Column: Could the Upper Valley respond again as it did in Haiti?

Fifteen years ago this month, the Upper Valley did something remarkable. In the aftermath of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) and the surrounding community mobilized in a way that still resonates today.

Within days, students, faculty, alumni, health care professionals and local residents banded together to send teams of doctors and nurses to help save lives at the center of the crisis.

With my military and critical care backgrounds, I was asked and honored to lead one of those teams of professionals — a critical care team of seven nurses and myself — to Port-au-Prince.

There we provided peri-operative intensive care support to local and international medical groups at the city’s University Hospital. Our patients suffered from wounds, amputations and illnesses under dire circumstances, challenging us all to communicate, care and empathize with them and their families.

It’s impossible to quantify the number of lives and limbs that we saved, but I can tell you firsthand that we saved many, and that was a testament to both the courage and the skill of our teams and the outpouring of support from this community.

The Haiti response showed us the power of collaboration and quick action. Dartmouth’s connections with Partners in Health, an organization deeply rooted in Haiti, made it possible to coordinate meaningful help almost immediately. Volunteers didn’t just bring medical expertise — they delivered hope and support to the chaos.

This event left a lasting impression on us. It reaffirmed Dartmouth’s commitment to global service and inspired new programs in global health and policy. Engineering students developed solar-powered water pumps, business students addressed oxygen shortages, Haitian art and music events were highlighted, and even the Haitian soccer team came to play.

For DHMC, the experience was transformational. Many of the health care volunteers returned with a renewed sense of purpose, bringing back lessons about resourcefulness that shaped their work at home. The ties forged with global health organizations also remain, opening doors for patients to come to the US for care, medical residents to rotate at DHMC and virtual medical rounds for Dartmouth and Haitian students to collaborate and learn from one another.

And for the Upper Valley as a whole? It proved that this community has a unique ability to rally together when it matters most. Local residents, businesses and organizations contributed time, money and resources, creating a ripple effect of goodwill and cooperation that still inspires volunteerism today.

Much has changed, though, in the Upper Valley and beyond. As we watch the increasing number of natural disasters and public health emergencies, we must ask ourselves, could we rise to the occasion again?

Dartmouth’s leadership has changed while its academic opportunities and expertise have continued to grow. DHMC, now part of a larger health care network, has more resources at its disposal but also faces the challenge of coordinating across a wider system. The Upper Valley, too, has seen changes in leadership and demographics that could influence how quickly the community could mobilize. But the spirit of this place — the willingness to help — is as strong as ever.

We don’t need to wait for a disaster to get ready. There are things we can do now to ensure we’re prepared for whatever comes next. For example, we can build stronger partnerships with disaster-response organizations. Local, state, federal and non-governmental disaster-response groups have the expertise and connections we’d need in a crisis, and maintaining those relationships is key.

We can also invest in education and training. Imagine if Dartmouth and other groups offered more courses that teach students, and citizens, how to respond to disasters — not just in medicine, but in fields like engineering, logistics and public policy. These are the skills that make a difference when every second counts.

Technology, too, can play a big role. Advances in telemedicine, communication and data tools mean we can coordinate efforts more efficiently than ever before. But we need to make sure we’re ready to use these tools when the time comes.

Perhaps most importantly, we must continually foster a culture of service. The Haiti support mission this community accomplished was only possible because people who lived 1,700 miles from the crisis cared enough to do something about it. That kind of compassion doesn’t just happen in a vacuum — it’s something we can cultivate through volunteer opportunities, community projects and global health initiatives.

If another large-scale disaster struck, could this community respond as it did in 2010? I believe the answer is yes. The Haiti earthquake response stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people come together. It showed us that even in the face of unimaginable devastation, this community can make a difference.

Jim Geiling is a critical care physician, retired Army colonel and professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.