- April 25, 2024
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Meagan Copeland is no stranger to hurricanes.
As a young girl, Copeland would tag along to the hospital where her mother worked to volunteer during major storms. Copeland worked in the childcare section, looking after children who made trips to the hospital before, during and after hurricanes.
“It really prepared me to be in the position that I’m in today,” said Copeland, who, at 26 years old, is the senior marketing strategist for Florida Hospital Flagler.
Meagan and her mother, Darlinda Copeland, the chief operating officer at Florida Hospital Memorial in Daytona Beach, handled the arrival of Hurricane Irma by doing what they do best — serving others in the hospital.
Separated by about 18 miles, mother and daughter did their best to prepare their respective hospitals for the storm.
Serving as FHF’s public information officer, Meagan was responsible for communicating with the hospital’s staff. Over at FHM, Darlinda made sure the facility's day-to-day activities kept on track.
Darlinda said surgeries were still occurring before the more intense parts of Irma arrived.
“I’ve lived in Florida my whole life,” said Darlinda, who started working at FHM five years prior to its name change in 2000. “Hurricanes are something I’ve always worked through.”
And as for Meagan, although she has been through hurricanes at hospitals before, this was her first time doing so on the job.
She didn’t feel the pressure.
“It was really exciting,” she said. “Everyone’s priority was just keeping the staff and the patients safe. It was kind of like a big family.”
Serving the community in a time of crisis is something that comes natural to the Copelands. In addition to her mother working for the hospital, Meagan's father and brother are employees of Florida Power and Light.
Darlinda said it all draws back to the values she instilled in her children. “My parents always taught me that you should use your time and your talents to serve others, and I raised my children that way,” she said. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”
