When hurricanes, floods, or wildfires devastate communities across the United States, one of the first organizations mobilized is CDR Health, a division of CDR Companies that specializes in emergency and public health services. Led by Tina Vidal-Duart, CDR Health is aiming to redefine what it means to bring healthcare to people when and where they need it most.
“We are boots on the ground,” says Vidal-Duart. “Our job is to step in when traditional healthcare access collapses, to make sure that even amid total loss, people can still receive urgent and ongoing care.”
CDR Health operates across the continental United States, providing healthcare services through government agencies and partnerships with federal, state, and local authorities. Its teams respond to a range of emergencies, hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms, and floods, and also deliver specialized care for refugees, rural populations, and individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions.
Born from CDR’s emergency management expertise, CDR Health emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, which set the foundation for its current model: a full-scale medical logistics and healthcare delivery system designed for disaster zones.
Vidal-Duart explains that the company typically gets activated 5–7 days before a major disaster makes landfall. “We begin prepping medications, assembling clinical teams, and coordinating with local officials to ensure continuity of care,” she says. “By the time the storm passes, we are already on-site, ready to operate mobile medical units and temporary clinics.”
The first 30 to 60 days following a disaster are crucial. During this time, local hospitals and pharmacies are often damaged or inaccessible. CDR Health steps in to provide primary and urgent care, pharmacy, and prescription renewals, and public health support to residents who would otherwise go without care.
“For many patients, the issue is not just storm injuries, it’s that their doctor’s office is gone,” Vidal-Duart…
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