In Case of Emergency: Preparing
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s Florida residents, we’re accustomed to dealing with hurricanes and other natural disasters when it comes to our homes and families. However, as a healthcare provider, it’s also important to have a plan in place for your medical practice when a storm hits. Hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through November 30, with storms peaking in August and September. On the East Central Coast, our hospitals are well prepared for any hurricane that may come our way. “By law we’re required to have various disaster preparedness plans in place,” said Kevin Noel, director of operations at Halifax Health. “All hospitals that are Joint Commission certified and governed by AHCA are to have these plans, submit them annually and keep them updated.” To track where the storm is headed, the executive team at Halifax Health follows the National Hurricane Center. If the hospital is in the cone of impact, there are preplanned purchases in place with local food and
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Your Practice for a Disaster
medical suppliers. “If it looks like it’s coming our way, we go ahead and execute those and they send those deliveries a day or two in advance, so we have plenty of supplies in the event that we do end up in a situation where we have to be on lockdown for a hurricane,” said Noel. The hospital also works closely with the Volusia County Emergency Management team to gauge how serious the storm is. “When they start opening public shelters and the winds are projected to be over 40 miles per hour and when they start to close the bridges to the barrier island, we implement our plan to bring staff into the hospital for the duration of the storm,” said Noel. As the storm gets closer, the hospital starts having routine meetings every day with their management teams to make sure they have all the necessary resources to handle the hurricane for a few days. The hospital will also begin to discharge patients that are safe to return home to reduce the number of patients in the facility. This allows the hospital to have the appropriate amount of food, water and other supplies
on-hand. They also have diesel generators that will run the facility if the power goes out. Halifax Health has fuel supply that can continuously run for seven to eight days without needing to resupply. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Joint Commission and AHCA make sure all hospitals have this level of preparation.
How Local Medical Practices Can Develop a Disaster Plan For medical practices, implementing your own disaster plan will ensure your practice is kept safe in the event of a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Establish a disaster plan during a calm time before any threat has occurred. Go over the plan with your staff so everyone is well prepared in an emergency. Familiarize yourself with the Greater Daytona area’s evacuation routes, emergency phone numbers and shelters. If you are in a situation where you cannot leave your building, find an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building away from any glass. If your building has interior stairwells consider taking shelter there.
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