Episode 2 of Ready, Prep, Go! Season 3, “The Waterline” follows families and healthcare workers through Hurricane Milton. Making landfall just weeks after Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton adds to the exhaustion, damage, and uncertainty. Neighborhoods are still without power. Cars flooded by Helene are undrivable, and gas shortages make evacuations difficult. Meanwhile, hospital workers are still struggling to balance personal recovery efforts with their professional responsibility. Listen as Dr. Beachgem shares her experience bringing her kids to the hospital during hurricane ride-out duty, blending family life with frontline service. When the storm clears, follow the stories of staff who return home to find their houses filled with contaminated floodwater and streets cluttered with debris. This episode highlights the hope, heartbreak, and resiliency of healthcare workers and communities rebuilding from one storm, while weathering another. Social media influencer Dr. Beachgem is a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and a mom of four. She has built a following of more than 1.3 million by translating complex medical information into clear, practical guidance for parents, a voice that became especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues well beyond it. Her trusted, no-nonsense approach has led to multiple viral moments, with videos featured by outlets ranging from Good Morning America to Scary Mommy. Most recently, her posts warning about the dangers of wire grill brushes and debunking myths around “dry drowning” have sparked widespread conversation and education. Through her work both in the emergency department and online, Dr. Beachgem bridges frontline medicine and everyday parenting with clarity, credibility, and compassion. Travis Witt brings decades of frontline and leadership experience to his role as Director of Safety and Emergency Management at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. A retired Lieutenant with Saint Petersburg Fire Rescue, he served in a wide range of critical positions, including Safety and Training Officer, Rescue Lieutenant, and Emergency Management leader. During his time with the city, Travis also acted as Planning Section Chief for major large-scale events such as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the St. Pete Pride Parade, helping ensure public safety for hundreds of thousands of attendees. Following his retirement from active fire service, Travis moved into healthcare safety leadership, where his deep operational knowledge continues to guide emergency preparedness and organizational safety strategy. He remains focused on advancing best practices through innovative approaches, modern technology, and proven risk-reduction methods to create safer environments for patients, staff, and the community. This episode offers continuing education credit for physicians and nurses. To receive credit, learners must register and complete an evaluation on the PPN Continuing Education portal after listening to the episode. Related Resources Hurricane Season is Coming Hurricane season poses significant risks to children, families and healthcare systems. Explore curated resources to help clinicians, caregivers and communities prepare, respond and recover effectively. The Disaster Medicine Handbook: A Quick Reference This guide supports hurricane readiness by breaking down core disaster response concepts (preparedness, surge capacity, triage, crisis standards of care, reunification, and ICS) that hospitals and communities rely on before, during, and after major storms. Pediatrics & Obstetrics Module Collection - Weather Emergencies and Disasters EMS providers play a vital role in natural and manmade disaster response, from hurricanes and floods to nuclear incidents. North Carolina ranks among the most impacted states, with frequent severe weather and three active nuclear reactors posing additional risk. This course prepares EMS professionals to respond quickly, safely, and effectively during large-scale emergencies—enhancing readiness, coordination, and public safety. Strengthen your disaster response skills and be ready to serve your community when it matters most.
