Hospital Planning for Natural Disasters: Overview
When planning for natural disasters, hospitals should focus on several key considerations.
When planning for natural disasters, hospitals should focus on several key considerations.
This resource provides an overview of how hospitals can prepare for a wide range of incidents that disrupt the flow of operations and reviews ways hospitals can be better prepared to sustain the impact of a storm, flood, or other natural disaster.
The number and magnitude of natural disasters affecting Missouri in 2011 demonstrated the importance of hospital planning and preparedness. Hospitals throughout Missouri activated their emergency operations plans and the hospital command centers because of the 2011 disasters. And, although the financial damage for all three events was substantial, the impact on the health care system was manageable.
2024 Disaster Conference
This presentation explores the response of Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management to the catastrophic Maui wildfire. The session outlines strategies and actions implemented to manage the crisis, including coordination efforts and resource deployment, highlighting the importance of preparedness and effective emergency management in mitigating the impact of natural disasters on health care systems.
Public health emergencies, natural disasters, and mass casualty events require hospitals to implement triage protocols to prioritize care based on patient severity and treatment likelihood. Hospitals must strive for equitable access, particularly for vulnerable populations, while addressing the ethical implications of resource allocation.
At last month’s Disaster Planning for California Hospitals conference in Pasadena, a panel of hospital executives whose hospitals had been affected by recent fires and mudslides shared their experiences, reinforced the importance of preparedness, and offered first-hand insight. The video below captures some of their struggles and discoveries both during and after major natural disasters.
To maintain daily operations and patient care services, health care facilities need to develop an Emergency Water Supply Plan (EWSP) to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a total or partial interruption of the facilities’ normal water supply.
What’s happening: Earlier this week, Lori Morgan, MD, MBA, President & CEO of Huntington Health in Pasadena — who is also a member of the boards of both CHA and the American Hospital Association — shared an important perspective before the state Assembly Health Committee on how the Los Angeles fires impacted surrounding communities and the role of hospitals in California’s response to this and other disasters.
What else to know: Dr. Morgan’s testimony was an important opportunity to share perspective on hospitals’ unique role in disaster response and the ways that state government can be helpful before, during, and after crises to ensure an efficient, rapid response that delivers care for Californians.
Evacuation of a health care facility may be necessary following an emergency such as a facility fire or damage from a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flooding. The decision to evacuate a health care facility will be based on the ability of the facility to meet the medical needs of the patients. Immediate threats to life, such as internal fires or unstable structures, will require emergent evacuation, while other situations may allow for a planned and phased evacuation.
Thank you for registering. Below are important instructions and materials you will need to participate in the webinar.
Applying for FEMA Assistance Grants – Best Practices for Success
Date: April 1, 2021
Time: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time