Improving Hospital Evacuation Planning using Simulation

Hospital evacuation in the event of a hurricane is a complex and unpredictable process. Recent natural disasters have called attention to the importance of a timely evacuation plan. The success of an evacuation greatly depends on developing and evaluating alternative plans. However, there is no standard approach to address the issues of a hospital evacuation. This research describes the development of a simulation model and initial analysis to assess the effectiveness of an evacuation plan given different scenarios and resources