Former St. Louis trauma surgeon and '314Oasis' team keep helping tornado survivors

"We started helping these people right after the tornado hit on May 16 and we are serving them for the long haul," said Dr. L. J. Punch.

ST. LOUIS — It's another Friday night, but Dr. L.J. Punch is not at his office at the groundbreaking “Bullet Related Injury Clinic,” or BRIC, in St. Louis.

Instead, the 50-year-old former Barnes-Jewish Hospital trauma surgeon is at the Centennial Church parking lot in Fountain Park.

One of the many areas in north St. Louis devastated by the May 16 tornado.

“When the tornado ripped through St. Louis, it looked like a bullet-tracking wound and so I've responded with all the skills that I have in trauma surgery just for the community itself,” said Punch.

In 2018, Punch gained national recognition for spearheading the “Stop the Bleed” program in St. Louis, teaching lifesaving techniques to 10,000 people in the region.

Two years later he opened his clinic.

But in August, he resigned as the clinic's medical director to help people impacted by the May 16 tornado.

“It was just another kind of trauma, but trauma at a scale I'd never seen before,” added Punch.

He's now co-founder and director of 314Oasis.

Dr. Punch says their outreach hub started serving north city right after the EF3 tornado battered homes and businesses and displaced thousands of people.

He says their “new model of community resilience blends disaster response with trauma care.”

“I live in the impacted zone myself. I immediately worried about what would happen from having so many people displaced from their homes,” added Punch.

With the help of hundreds of organizations, including the St. Louis City Recovery Office, the St. Louis Area Foodbank, and national and international partners, 314Oasis offers free hot meals, self-care kits and more to storm survivors.

“We're listening to people, hearing their stories. We do things like acupuncture, chair massage and spiritual care right here at the Oasis in Centennial Church's parking lot. It's definitely needed in so many ways,” said Punch.

When your life is suddenly disrupted by a tornado, obviously it will take some time to get back on your feet.

Dr. Punch and his team know that, and that's why they will be serving the people for the long haul.

“I think it's a wonderful idea,” said volunteer Irene Carter.

She also lives in the tornado-ravaged area.