Surviving the Storm

By Harold German

Natural disasters, like the Tsunami that ripped apart the lives of millions living along the coasts of the Indian Ocean in December of 2004, are a true human tragedy but a harsh fixture of our reality on this planet. Such tragedies incite human interest and outreach from all regions of the world and supportive entities, such as the media and charitable organizations, can always be counted on to address the ensuing demand. While there is rarely ever a shortage of stories focused on the horrors of these types of events, few focus on how people find innovative ways to manage through these ordeals.

Brian Levin's constant brushes with nature are unlike most, and his coping method is uncannily brilliant. Mr. Levin is the coordinator of Telepsychiatry Services of Marlton, NJ-based CFG Health Systems, LLC (www.cfghealthsystems.com), a behavioral healthcare service provider focused on the delivery of quality mental health services. He and his staff manage by using a revolutionary technology known as Telemedicine, which allows medical practitioners to disseminate medical information from one site to another using video conferencing for the health and education of patients, regardless of location. His latest encounter with Mother Nature came in the form of the northeastern blizzard of January 23rd, 2005. The treacherous blizzard was blamed for no less than twenty deaths and incapacitated all airports and mass transit terminals in the North East Mr. Levin's "Telepsychiatry" is a growing methodology generated directly from the tremendous impact and success that Telemedicine has had with medical institutions.

"The most recent snow blizzard caused a local State of Emergency and our patients' critical treatment would have been delayed if it wasn't for Telepsychiatry. We use Telepsychiatry seven days a week, 365 days a year, and regardless of external conditions we are able to provide our patients with the vital care that they need," said Mr. Levin. "Prior to CFG bringing Telepsychiatry to our screening center in Cumberland county, there was no after-hours, face-to-face psychiatric coverage, which is mandatory for a psychiatric commitment. It's a rural and underserved county, and if roads were blocked due to a storm, any patient needing care after hours would be held over until the next morning when the next psychiatrist would come on duty. This meant that patients and their family members had to wait a possible twelve to fourteen hours for medical attention. Fortunately for us, those days are over."

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