Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2017 - 71

Practice Management Diary

Firestorm 2017: Napa and Sonoma
Dr. Jeffrey Nichelini
American Canyon, CA

I am humbled by my Napa neighbors, and bursting with pride that I can claim to be part of their
community. The firestorm of October 2017
brought a shocking amount of destruction to
Napa and Sonoma counties, but our community
rallied to support each other. Of course, the first
responders and firefighters from around the
globe deserve thanks in excess of what we can
possibly give, but tackling this disaster was truly
a community effort. People opened their homes
to displaced families, businesses pledged millions
of dollars to help rebuilding efforts, and evacuation shelters received so many donations and
offers of help that they had to turn away goods
and volunteers. There was so much goodwill
flowing through our counties that it was difficult
to figure out where contributions were needed.
Several community members found ways to harness their unique skills to help their neighbors.
One dramatic story involved freelance bulldozer
operators saving an entire neighborhood by cutting fire lines while fire department resources
were dedicated to other fronts. The Whiskey River
Ranch Winery opened extra storage space to the
Nichelini Family Winery so that we could safely
stash our entire inventory when it seemed the
fire might take our property (a big thank you
to them).

Winter 2017  PCSO Bulletin

Stepping up in the Face of Disaster
The orthodontic community also found unique
ways to contribute. At my office, we utilized our
access to dental supply companies to bring N95
masks to the community when all of the local
big-box stores were sold out. Dr. Mary Cooke
opened her office to the public for WiFi access
while the power was out in many neighborhoods.
Dr. Carrie Laurent took steps to ensure that her
patients had access to emergency services while
evacuation orders were in place. Several local
offices offered to replace retainers that were lost
to the fires, free of charge.
Looking beyond the acute phase of the disaster,
there are now long-term consequences to deal
with. Thousands of families have been displaced;
many lost everything. I'm confident that our local
orthodontic community will make sure that the
needs of local kids are not neglected, but there
will also be kids in active treatment looking for
new providers in their new communities. If any
of these kids find their way to your office, I hope
you will be generous.
If you would like to actively help Napa and
Sonoma's long-term recovery efforts, my advice
is to schedule your next weekend getaway here.
It is still American Eden! We are the epicurean
epicenter of the Western Hemisphere, and your
tourist dollars drive our economy. Please come,
spend lots of money, sip extraordinary wine,
savor exquisite cuisine, and enjoy the scenery.
The hills will be green again- soon. 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2017