Bennett deBoisblanc, M.D.

Bennett deBoisblanc, M.D., who was medical director of the ICU at Charity Hospital in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, will deliver the inaugural keynote address at the opening ceremony, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.

Dr. deBoisblanc led a team of healthcare professionals caring for 50 ICU patients for the five days after the hurricane struck before he and the patients were airlifted out of the hospital. ATS leaders expect his message of hope and inspiration in the face of extreme adversity to set the right tone for this exciting and inspirational ATS 2010.

“Dr. deBoisblanc is remarkable,” said Marc Moss ATS 2010 conference chair. “He will recount those days following the hurricane and how his team cared for people in the face of diminishing resources, electricity and medical personnel. His story reminds us that in moments of extreme vulnerability, what matters most is not the technology that we have come to rely upon, but our desire to help others.”

ATS President J. Randall Curtis, M.D., M.P.H., agreed. “Dr. deBoisblanc reminds us of the reasons we do what we do and why we gather each year at the ATS International Conference—the advances presented at this conference help us do our jobs better.”