Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551105
torrancememorial.org PULSE | 27 PROVIDING CARE NEAR AND FAR torrancememorial.org PULSE | 27 A s he viewed the images of devastation immediately following the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal, Marc Mercado realized one thing: He could make a difference. "I knew I had to go, no matter what," says Mercado, a respiratory therapist at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. He went online and found a nonprofit organization that organizes medical relief missions in areas where health care is limited, as well as in disaster areas. Just 11 days aer the quake occurred, Mercado landed in Nepal. He was the only respiratory therapist in his group of 18 medical professionals. All of them had personally financed their trips and brought their own necessities, such as sleeping bags and food. e larger group split into three smaller groups, and Mercado's went to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, to assist at local hospitals, monasteries and displacement camps. He helped triage patients, identifying the seriousness of their condition and determining who needed care most urgently. "We saw all sorts of people," he says. "We treated infected cuts and wounds, fractures, cholera, diarrhea and dysentery—a whole range of conditions. People had lost their homes and were traumatized." On a medical mission with scarce resources and staff, participants help in whatever ways are needed. So Mercado found himself doing tasks that he would never have done at home, including IV placement and suturing. "We all had crash courses," he says. Some of his duties were nonmedical in nature, such as crowd control and security. Although the experience was physically grueling, Mercado found it immensely fulfilling. He enhanced his skills and learned a great deal. "No matter what medical skill level a person has attained, compassion supersedes all," Mercado adds. "Everyone should do at least one medical mission. ere is a world of things clinically or personally that a person can learn and add to their individual talents." Back home, Mercado brings that compassion to his patients at Torrance Memorial. As a member of the hospital's Respiratory erapy Department, he assists patients with breathing problems and conditions relating to the lungs. is entails a variety of duties, including training patients in breathing techniques, administering medications, clearing patients' airways and working with those who need to be on a ventilator. His seven years on staff at Torrance Memorial have given him exposure to a wide range of medical conditions. "I'm proud of the teamwork here," he says. "e hospital is very supportive of its employees, and our department members push one another to continue learning." In fact, Mercado is in the process of obtaining his master's degree in health care management. He loves direct patient interaction but says he wants to "understand the big picture" when it comes to health care. Before becoming a respiratory therapist, Mercado served in the Marines. Deployed twice during his four-year tenure, he saw combat in Iraq as a rifleman in the infantry. His military training taught him discipline and how to handle unpredictable and dangerous situations. "When I was in Nepal and things were crazy, I said to myself, 'I've seen worse. At least no one's shooting at me.'" e Nepal trip was Mercado's second medical mission abroad. Last year, he participated in an international medical mission organized by a physician. e group treated poor residents at a clinic in a remote area in Honduras. As was the case in Nepal, Mercado had a chance to perform tasks outside his normal respiratory therapy duties. He already looks forward to joining another international medical mission next year. "I really enjoy helping people and being part of something bigger than myself," he says. When disaster strikes, respiratory therapist Marc Mercado heads to Nepal. WRITTEN BY NANCY STEINER H E A RT B E AT S