Months and even years after the winds subside and the floodwaters recede, hospitals and health systems in regions battered by a hurricane will still be grappling with the financial, physical and reputational wreckage such storms cause.
Hospitals face closure, chaotic revenue cycle operations, disrupted supply chains, possible credit downgrades, destroyed and damaged physical assets, and displaced workforces and patients. Partner institutions, such as long-term care facilities and retail pharmacies, may temporarily or permanently operate at diminished capacities.
Effective disaster recovery starts well before a hurricane begins cycling over Atlantic waters. To recover from such an event as quickly as possible, hospitals and health systems can take tactical actions to handle the complex challenges left in the wake of a hurricane or other natural disaster
Health systems can protect against significant damage by shoring up physical resources.
In the wake of a storm, hospitals and health systems will have to take many actions to help themselves and their communities recover.
Restore and expand care delivery
Help employees and their families
Restore key patient safety and regulatory controls
Mitigate adverse financial impacts
Restore key supporting operations
Health systems with strategies at the ready can increase the pace of recovery and avoid making premature decisions that could do harm in the long term.