Abstract :
ISSUE: Over 50 hospitals in southeastern Michigan were impacted by the Blackout.
PROJECT: Without advance notice healthcare facilities and their surrounding communities lost commercial electrical service, safe water supply, and in some places sewage capacity. Emergency management plans, using the incident command system, were activated throughout the area.
RESULTS: Challenges created by the disaster stretched resources, including personnel and supplies. Communication was compromised for employees and patients due to the widespread effects of the situation. Numerous employees were unable to get to and from their workplaces due to gas station closings from lack of power to the pumps. The ninety-degree temperature and increased humidity placed undue strain on the sick and elderly as several communities looked to hospitals as resources of heat relief, replacement oxygen, and medications. Emergency rooms were crowded due to influx of patients who would normally receive treatment at a clinic, dialysis center, or home health agency.
LESSONS LEARNED: Water was the number-one problem; the boil water advisory continued for several days post power restoration. Some facilities are considering site wells or onsite water storage capability. Electrical power generation supplied basic lighting, heating, and ventilation, but most facilities lack back-up air conditioning. Information technology was an issue at some locations due to effects on computer systems. Accreditation agencies look for hospitals to be in compliance by being prepared for self-sufficiency up to 24 hours. Many facilities are revisiting their emergency preparedness plans to sustain them for 48–72 hours without commercial water and power.
