Two days before Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 27, Major M. Tiye Young, MMS, PA-C ’24 arrived at the North Carolina Western Branch Emergency Management Headquarters in Conover, NC. She was the first National Guardsman on site, responsible for staging and managing over 1,500 Army and Air National Guardsmen from three different states.
The hurricane brought heavy winds and record-breaking rainfall that caused flooding, power outages, and destruction across Western North Carolina. Nine counties were cut off from the world with no cell or phone services.
With a staff that expanded from six personnel to 40, Young lead relief efforts and managed medical operations. Over the next two months, Western Branch Force Packages completed more than 1,700 missions, delivering 853,849 pounds of commodities, executing 309 rescues, clearing 575 routes and distributing nearly four million bottles of water across 22 counties.
In late October, Young briefed President Joe Biden on the continued operations. She was the last National Guardsmen to leave the mission on November 23, and in recognition for her work, she was awarded the North Carolina Army Commendation Medal from Brigadier General Charles Morrison.
Both the NC Academy of Physician Assistants (NCAPA) and the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) published profiles on Young’s leadership during the relief efforts. In the NCAPA story, Young discusses the challenges her team faced and how inspired she was by the unity and resilience of people affected by the disaster. The AAPA story relates Young’s journey to military service and PA school, as well details from her work in response to Helene.
While serving on the mission in Western NC, Young interviewed and was hired as an Acute Care Surgery PA at Atrium Health Cabarrus in Concord, NC.
"I know I have the best jobs of being in the military and practicing medicine," Young said. “It's simply the honor that they trust me to do both.”
Wake PA invited Young back to campus in early March to deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Graduate Research Symposium. She related how the focus of her own Graduate Project research – the role of poor communication in cervical cancer disparities in Black and Hispanic communities – translates to improved patient care. Assistant Professor Robert L. Wooten, PA-C '81, presented Young with a certificate in recognition of her leadership following Hurricane Helene.
