less than two Weeks after Hurricane Helen pummeled the southeastern United States, Florida’s hospitals and health care providers are bracing for more devastating storms as Hurricane Milton hurtles toward the state’s west coast.
The National Hurricane Center called the storm, now a Category 5 hurricane, “very dangerous” late Tuesday morning. Milton is expected to make landfall near Tampa late Wednesday or early Thursday, bringing strong winds and storm surge of more than 10 feet to parts of Florida’s west coast and heavy rain to most of the Florida peninsula.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 200 medical facilities in the affected area had reported evacuations, including more than 100 assisted living facilities and 10 hospitals. In preparation for the storm, the Florida Department of Health deployed more than 600 ambulances and other emergency response vehicles and set up 11 special needs shelters for people with disabilities.
“We are truly concerned about the scale of this hurricane and the potentially devastating impact,” Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association, told WIRED. The organization represents more than 300 hospitals across the state. Florida, which is more prone to storms than other U.S. states, has had hospitals closed due to weather disasters in the past, but what is unusual is that many medical facilities were evacuated before Milton. says Mayhew.
Affected hospitals are transferring patients to other facilities within the health system. Florida Emergency Medical Supervisor Steve McCoy said during an emergency preparedness briefing Tuesday that the state has deployed about 600 vehicles, including buses, ambulances and vans, to transport patients to safety. Ta. “This was our largest evacuation ever,” he said.
HCA Florida Healthcare, a network of hospitals and physicians operating in the state, announced Tuesday afternoon that it is temporarily closing or suspending services at several hospitals and emergency rooms. “Once patients have been transported, the hospital will temporarily close and reopen when it is safe to do so following the storm,” the health system said in a statement.
Hospitals that remain open are implementing flood mitigation plans, moving electrical equipment away from flooded areas and stocking supplies that may be needed in an emergency.
Tampa General Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Milton’s path, remained open and activated its hurricane preparedness plan. The academic health system is the region’s only Level I trauma center and said in a statement released Tuesday that it is “ready to meet the needs of patients across the state who will need care after the storm passes.” ” he said. Health care providers and staff trained in emergency management will remain on site throughout the storm to care for patients. Additional health care providers and staff will return to work once the storm passes and roads are safe.
The hospital is located at sea level on the Davis Islands and is protected by various systems including an Aquafence barrier. Located 33 feet above sea level, there is an on-site central energy plant that can provide power during power outages. . Tampa General said the energy plant was built to withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane. The hospital says it has at least five days’ worth of supplies such as food and linens on site.
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