Published by: Maya Linson on 8/29/2011 3:13:05 PM
Hurricane Irene did not seem to pack the punch that everyone prepared for, but many hospitals up and down the East Coast still spent days last week ensuring patients' safety and will spend time this week assessing damage and restoring operations.
PBS NewsHour actually outlined what they called "the anatomy" of NAPH Member Coney Island Hospital's hurricane evacuation. Part of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, Coney Island Hospital is located in what was deemed New York City's "Zone A," meaning a low-lying coastal flood zone.
Once the need to evacuate Zone A became official, staff at Coney Island Hospital worked to idenfity available beds in safe areas for patients in various conditions. Accoriding to NewsHour, the hospital handled transfers for 15 newborns, two children and 248 adults - with 16 on ventilators.
In an interview held the day before the Irene hit New York, the hospital's associate director of emergency management discussed his experience. The story and the interview are nice reminders that hospitals are indeed built to withstand emergencies. There are back-up systems and redundancies in place. There are staff trained for these situations. And there are plenty of other groups and organizations ready to respond and help. For a look into this hospital's first full-scale evatuation, read the PBS story below: