The two-day Health Emergency Management Summit wrapped up on Friday. It was organized with help from International Medical Corps, a global humanitarian organization.
Jose Perez, associate director of facilities for Healthcare Network in Naples, said Hurricane Ian exposed a gap in his facility’s planning.
“One thing I did not see coming was water,” Perez recounted. “It wasn't in a flood zone, but the water came from underneath the floor drain.”
Perez noted the experience changed how the facility prepares. He suggested health centers should test generators weekly and have backup plans for vaccines. His facility also plans to use sandbags around floor drains.
Rebecca Allman, chief compliance and quality officer for Langley Health Services, said a tornado forced similar changes.
“Unfortunately, we did have to go through a tornado that destroyed one of our buildings, so that was definitely a learning curve and a learning lesson for us that we had not gone through before,” Hallman explained. “Now we have tornado drills that we put in place every year.”
Hallman stressed that partnerships between health centers are critical because they allow facilities to share supplies when a storm hits. She added that one of the biggest challenges is getting staff to treat emergency drills as real.
“The more you get into the drill, the more you'll learn where the gaps are,” Hallman underscored.
Key Points:
- Florida community health centers gathered in Tampa ahead of the June 1 start of hurricane season.
- Officials shared lessons learned from hurricanes, tornadoes, and facility damage during past disasters.
- Healthcare Network in Naples plans to improve flood protection and regularly test generators after Hurricane Ian.
- Langley Health Services added annual tornado drills after one of its buildings was destroyed by a tornado.
- Healthcare leaders said realistic emergency drills and partnerships between facilities are critical during disasters.
