When hurricanes, floods, or wildfires devastate communities across the United States, one of the first organizations mobilized is CDR Health, a division of CDR Companies that specializes in emergency and public health services. Led by Tina Vidal-Duart, CDR Health is aiming to redefine what it means to bring healthcare to people when and where they need it most.
“We are boots on the ground,” says Vidal-Duart. “Our job is to step in when traditional healthcare access collapses, to make sure that even amid total loss, people can still receive urgent and ongoing care.”
CDR Health operates across the continental United States, providing healthcare services through government agencies and partnerships with federal, state, and local authorities. Its teams respond to a range of emergencies, hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms, and floods, and also deliver specialized care for refugees, rural populations, and individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions.
Born from CDR’s emergency management expertise, CDR Health emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, which set the foundation for its current model: a full-scale medical logistics and healthcare delivery system designed for disaster zones.
Vidal-Duart explains that the company typically gets activated 5–7 days before a major disaster makes landfall. “We begin prepping medications, assembling clinical teams, and coordinating with local officials to ensure continuity of care,” she says. “By the time the storm passes, we are already on-site, ready to operate mobile medical units and temporary clinics.”
The first 30 to 60 days following a disaster are crucial. During this time, local hospitals and pharmacies are often damaged or inaccessible. CDR Health steps in to provide primary and urgent care, pharmacy, and prescription renewals, and public health support to residents who would otherwise go without care.
“For many patients, the issue is not just storm injuries, it’s that their doctor’s office is gone,” Vidal-Duart explains. “We are there for the person who needs insulin, heart medication, or wound treatment when every nearby clinic is closed.”
The company’s clinicians also address the secondary wave of injuries that follow disasters, chainsaw cuts, falls, infections, and dehydration. “People underestimate how dangerous the cleanup phase can be,” she says. “We treat the aftermath, the hidden toll that comes once the headlines fade.”
Beyond disasters, CDR Health provides refugee and migrant healthcare through government contracts, offering screenings, immunizations, and ongoing medical management to vulnerable populations. It also operates homebound and rural healthcare programs, extending medical access to communities that are underserved even in normal times.
“Our mission is about equity,” Vidal-Duart says. “Whether you live in a city or on the edge of a wildfire zone, you deserve consistent, high-quality care.”
To sustain such reach, CDR Health maintains a core team of licensed healthcare professionals and leverages a nationwide roster of contract clinicians who can be activated within hours. The company’s operational strength lies in its coordination with CDR Companies’ other divisions, particularly engineering and emergency management, to build and equip mobile clinics, shelters, and support infrastructure in the field.
“We have the advantage of being part of a family of companies that can literally build what we need,” Vidal-Duart notes. “If we require a clinic in a parking lot within 48 hours, our specialized teams can make that happen.”
That integrated model allows CDR Health to act quickly and scale efficiently, serving disaster victims, first responders, long-term recovery teams, and local governments seeking sustainable solutions.
Ultimately, Vidal-Duart views CDR Health as a healthcare provider and recovery partner. “When someone’s world has been turned upside down, we want to be the calm in the chaos,” she says. “We strive to save lives and help people rebuild them.”
From the ashes of wildfires to the flooded streets of hurricane zones, CDR Health continues to stand at the frontlines of crisis response, an unwavering presence where healthcare meets humanity.